In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that
a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
This was the first census that took place while
Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went
to his own town to register.
Luke 2:1-3
Mary's story leaves the book of Matthew at this point, and leapfrog's back to Luke, beginning in chapter 2. Caesar has just ordered a census to be taken of the Roman Empire. Everyone had to journey to their hometown to register for the census. Joseph was of the house of David (as was Mary), and he would need to register in Bethlehem. The journey would be 70+ miles, and Mary was in no shape to travel, being in her ninth month of pregnancy. Whatever the circumstances or objections, however, Mary ended up enduring those long, bumpy roads riding on the back of a donkey.
They finally arrived - dusty, weary and beyond tired. Joseph's search of the local inn(s) came to naught - there was not an empty bed in the town. The Bible does not say when the baby was born relative to when they arrived in Bethlehem. It simply says, "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born..." Because their accommodations were in the stable (most likely a stone cave), when the baby decided it was time to begin its birth journey, Mary and Joseph made ready a feeding trough to serve as bassinet and cradle for their little boy.
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