In the N.T. the 'taxing' under Cyrenius is generally held to be a census: the word is ἀπογραφή, an enrolment or register. Florus the Roman historian says, that a census comprised "every one's estate, dignity, age, employment, and office;" this occasion may therefore have been only a preliminary to taxing. The Jews were apparently allowed to conduct the census in their own way as to lineage. It has been proved that Cyrenius (Quirinius) was twice governor of Syria, which removes all difficulty as to the date of the census in Luke 2:1-5 . The same Greek word is translated 'taxing' in Acts 5:37 , when Judas headed an insurrection.