Why the Nativity in Bethlehem? It was the fault of the taxes

Why did the Nativity take place in Bethlehem? Why was Joseph of Nazareth forced to move with pregnant Mary and Jesus was born in a hut? We owe everything, it must be said, to taxes. Yes, yesterday as today the reorganization of the financial administration aimed at rationalizing state accounting and ensuring additional resources. And therefore, in the Christmas tradition taxes ended up having a role, and not a secondary one at that. It was in fact, Fiscooggi recalls, around 4 BC (the debate on the exact dates is still open), that the carpenter of Nazareth undertook the tiring journey from his residence to his hometown, Bethlehem.

What was the purpose of traveling with his wife, Maria, who was also waiting? “The historical reason for the trip – explains Fiscooggi – is connected to need to register its properties in Bethlehem, land above all, to fulfill the obligation of the census, announced by the Roman emperor Augustus, which required all subjects to declare and register their respective properties in the very places in which they were located in view of the imminent tax reform”.

This is the “census of the whole earth” which the Gospel of Luke also speaks of. Since it was unclear how long it would take for the local authorities to deal with his case and assess his tax burden, Giuseppe was forced to take Maria with him, presumably to avoid not being present at the time of the birth. And so Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem.

Taxes in ancient times were a chapter very ‘dear’ to emperors: it is known that Augustus intended to initiate a vast reform of the tax system of the empire, which he was pacifying and reordering, and to do this he needed the registration of all the inhabitants and their wealth. For this reason the provincial governors announced the announcement of numerous censusesin practice population registration procedures, which had the essential purpose of guaranteeing everyone’s compliance with fiscal obligations by providing for the registration of the relevant properties, land and buildings.

The financial administration thus provided for the constitution of the ‘fiscus’, i.e. the emperor’s tax revenue fund, distinct from the old aerarium, which remained the main fund, even if Augustus still enjoyed the right to draw from it the sums necessary for all administrative and military functions. Thanks to this reorganization, the emperor could effectively direct the economic policy of the entire empire.