Problems

Reconnaissance for Rome | Herod is the current client king for Rome. Rome, being an Empire, maintains control over conquered people chiefly by keeping an eye on things in its provinces and nipping problems in the bud. That's where you come in. You are a librarian. Having long since tired of merely shelving the detective fiction, you jumped at the chance to do a little sleuthing for a friend of a friend in the Emperor's offices. You are currently working under cover, in an undisclosed location, for the Empire.

Budgets are tight, however, so you will not be traveling to Judea to do your work. Instead, from behind your desk, you must determine what is going on in the distant province. The Empire provides you with a text that looks exactly like what would come to be known as Matthew 2:1-12. You have a critical Greek text (identical to NA27) and these English versions: NIV, NRSV, NET and The Message. (Since you are an expert linguist, late 20th century CE American English is a snap for you.)

Write a report to that friend of a friend who works for the Emperor. What is going on in Judea? What and who should the Emperor know about? You write your report in English so that if it falls into the wrong hands, it will not be easily deciphered. Read more…