Luke distinguished two registrations, and the evidence supports Quirinius exercising Syrian authority before his known governorship of 6 C.E.
Was Luke Wrong When He Said Quirinius Was Governing Syria?
What Was the Census That Led to Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem?
Luke’s census is real history: an Augustan enrollment adapted to Judea under Herod, earlier Quirinian oversight, and a 2 B.C.E. birth in Bethlehem.
