Does anyone here think the Nativity is not a myth?

[procon]

14. Just start with the taxes and the mysticism falls apart.

Rome, as the ruling government, demands taxes and collecting their quotas is the responsibility of regional leaders.

Sure take a local census so the number of taxpayers in a given region who can be leveraged to the taxes that Rome demands. No local government leader is going to short change his Treasury and send a sizable chunk of his tax base off to another area so that governor can claim the taxes instead.

Just follow the money. Those ancient governments and their leaders were corrupt and took their cut off the top. So it was important to maintain a productive community that had enough income to live while still paying taxes without rebelling. No government would order the wholesale migration of an entire population when scribes could be easily and cheaply dispatched to make a headcount for a census without decimating the regional economy.

Since no one would be working if they are forced to migrate, there's no coin for the realm. There's no way to feed or house large numbers of migratory people in today's world, which makes it likely that it would be even worse in ancient times. A sudden influx of destitute people would crash any local community. Without work, no money for Rome's taxes, no money for the local leaders. No government would participate in such a ridiculous idea.

It all goes down hill from every point of fact.