Was there a census at the time of the birth of Christ and, if so, where are the records? It seems that the story of the census merges two key events: the death of King Herod in 4 BC and a census ordered by Caesar Augustus in AD 6. Herod was a trusted friend of Rome, but after his death the situation changed and the Romans eventually took over the administration of Judea in AD 6. The census held in this year was part of the change of administration. Census activity or 'registrations' are quite common in the history of the Roman Empire but the records have largely been lost, because they were written on stone or pots or on papyrus. The British Museum holds some examples of the latter which are from Egyptian censuses and the information on them is quite revealing. "Making History" consulted the Reverend Professor Canon Loveday Alexander at the Department of Biblical Studies, University of Sheffield.