Erica asked me earlier today how long it took Mary and Joseph to reach Bethlehem. So I looked it up. It's somewhere around 100 miles, meaning you or I could drive it (roadblocks not withstanding) in a couple of hours.However, Mary & Joe didn't have a car and probably hitched a ride on a caravan. Caravans, like wagon trains, move pretty slowly, but they were a safe and effective way to travel. Plus, riding on an oxcart beats walking the whole way.
At around 20 miles per day, it probably took the Holy Family 4-6 days to reach Bethlehem for Caesar Agustus' Census. This census was carried out in A.D. 6-7 because Syria and Judea had just become a taxable part of the Roman Empire.
Why did Mary & Joe have to head to Bethlehem for the census? The Bible tells us because that's what Rome told them to do. Rome generally did not order everyone to return to their ancestral homes, but they also worked with the traditions of their constituents, so maybe when Quirinius, the newly minted Legate of Syria, asked Herod Antipas how they counted people, Antipas said, "By tribes." And when the Legate asked how they know who belongs to what tribe, Antipas said, "Oh, they each have their own area of land. Tell everyone to go to the home of their tribe and you'll be able to count them better." To which Quirinius probably said 'Thank you' and then had Herod flogged. Because that's how the Romans roll.
