Study note

Luke 2:1

  • Caesar Augustus was also called Octavian. He ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC to AD 14. Before his rule, Rome was a republic governed by the Senate. The Senate gave Augustus supreme power, and Rome became an empire. Augustus protected the empire’s borders and began the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”). This was a long period of peace and success around the Mediterranean Sea.

  • A census was an official count of the people. Rome used a census to register people for taxes.