From Jesus to Constantine. Rome and Judea 132 bce 135 AD

Transcription

1 From Jesus to Constantine Rome and Judea 132 bce 135 AD A. The Hasmoneans a. Simon Maccabee i. Proclaimed independence from the Seleucids ii. He was elected General and High Priest b. The Second Jewish Commonwealth i. Was a theocracy ii. The Hasmoneans dynasty had hereditary office of high priest 1. They do not have a king, because Yahweh was sovereign 2. They also lacked descent from David, so was not seem as legitimate by some c. Expansion under the Hasmoneans i. BY 78, they took surrounding areas included a lot of Greek cities ii. They enforced religion and circumcision by the sword B. Conflicts in Judea a. Pharisees i. Is Hebrew for set apart, a continuation of Chadism ii. One of four sects of Judaism in the 1 st century 1. Will evolve into modern Judaism iii. The belief system changes over time. iv. The appealed to the common folk v. Belief in the oral Torah vi. They rejected the expansion of the State and the forced conversion b. Sadducees i. Were the wealthy and priestly class of people ii. Rejected the Oral Torah, for literate sources C. Pompey and Jerusalem a. Pompey i. According to Josephus (Jewish Historian) Pharisees appealed to Pompey to end the Hasmonean dynasty ii. In 63 BCE Pompey sacked Jerusalem and exacted tribute for Rome 1. He even violated the temple. 2. Pharisees regarded it as punishment for Sadducees corrupt rule. b. Crassus in Syria i. Judea was in the Roman province of Syria ii. In 54 Crassus, (Part of the First Triumvirate) was killed as Consul of Syria

2 iii. The Jews revolted iv. 43 BCE Romans ended the Revolt and sold 30,000 Jews into slavery. D. Herod a. Client King of Jerusalem b. He first military governor of Galilee c. After Jewish revolt in 43 Parthians helped install the another Hasmonean d. Herod fled to Rome and got support of the senate. e. Finally drove out the Parthians and Hasmoneans in 37 E. Herod the Great a. His family were converts to Judaism b. Herod was a client of Rome and was allowed some freedoms i. Much like the status of a modern protectorate c. Sources differ on his rule i. In Josephus early works he states that his reign had many positive attributes ii. Josephus later works state that he was decadent, paranoid and cruel d. Death of Herod 4 BCE i. Became increasingly paranoid ii. He killed his wife, who was connected to an assassination plot iii. Executes many of his children iv. He left the kingdom to his remaining three sons. F. Jewish Writing a. Much of the literature of the period is apocryphal and had revelations b. Book of Daniel (approx. 165BCE) i. Written to encourage resistance to the Seleucids c. Book of Enoch i. Probably had many authors 1. Written between 160 s and 66BCE 2. Recounts the fall of Satan, the infusion of evil and suffering in Jewish life 3. Calls for redemption of a Messiah d. Book of Wisdom i. Probably directed at the Epicurean lifestyle of Roman rule e. Book of Isiah i. For unto us a child is born, a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called the mighty god, the prince of peace. Jesus 4 BCE 30 AD A. Historical Evidence

3 a. First Reference of Non-Christian Text i. Josephus written around 93 AD, Antiquities of the Jews ii. Quote At that time lived Jesus, a holy man, if man he may be called, for he performed wonderful works, and taught men, and joyfully received the truth. And he was followed by many Jews and many Greeks. He was the Messiah. b. From Roman Sources i. Pliny the Younger (circa 110) when he consulted Emperor Trajan on the treatment of Christians ii. Tacitus Circa 115 describes Nero s persecution c. Christian Evidence i. Begins with Letters of St. Paul 1. Uncertain authorship, substantially genuine 2. Paul knew the men that knew Jesus 3. Last Supper and Crucifixion, confirmed in other sources d. Gospels i. Four remain out of several that circulated amongst 1 st and 2 nd century Christians ii. Matthew, Mark, john and Luke the oldest copies are from the 3 rd century 1. But written between iii. There are contradiction 1. Incorrect statement s of history 2. Incidents designed to prove the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies 3. Some things may have been added in to establish later doctrines or rituals. B. The Growth of Jesus a. Born in the days when Herod was king of Judea before 3BCE i. However other sources differ 1. He was born between 7 BCE and 6 AD b. December 25 th Winter Solstice, chosen by the Romans to convinced with festival of Mithraism. c. Family He was from a large family with many brothers and sisters. i. There are conflicting genealogies. 1. Virgin birth is not mentioned in Paul or John 2. Matthew and Luke trace his genealogy to David, through Joseph d. The Magi Wise Men i. Connection to the astrological convictions

4 e. When all the sources are carefully examined following strict historical criteria, it appears that Jesus is best understood as a first-century Jewish apocalyptic prophet C. How we can understand the historical Jesus. a. Apocalypticism was a widespread movement in first-century Judaism. i. We know about it from such sources as the Dead Sea Scrolls. ii. It was a belief that the present age was ruled by forces of evil, which God would soon overthrow in a cataclysmic act of judgment to bring in a utopian kingdom ruled by his own Messiah. iii. It makes sense that Jesus preached in an idiom familiar to his own day; the words and deeds that can be established as authentic all appear to be related to this kind of apocalyptic message. b. Jesus s teachings were largely about the coming Kingdom of God and the need to prepare for it. i. The summary of his words by the earliest Gospel, Mark, is probably accurate (Mark 1:15): The Kingdom was soon to come and people needed to repent in preparation. ii. This was a real Kingdom to be brought by God s special messenger, whom Jesus referred to as the Son of Man (Mark 8:38). iii. The coming judgment would involve a destruction of the present order of things and a complete reversal of fortunes for the powerful and the oppressed (Mark 13:26 27; 10:30). iv. People needed to prepare for its coming, by repenting of their wrongdoing, giving up their power and wealth, and living completely for others (Mark 1:15; Mark 10:13 15, 23 30, 42 44; Matt. 13:45 46). v. What God wanted was for people to follow the very heart of his Law, the Torah, as summed up in the two commands to love God above all else (Deut. 6:4 6) and to love one s neighbor as oneself (Lev. 19:18). vi. The message was urgent, because the coming destruction and the appearance of this Kingdom were imminent (Mark 9:1; 13:30; 14:62). D. The Life and Death of Jesus a. Early Life i. From a large family, probably a laborer b. Follower of John the Baptist i. John was a relative hermit, who preached of repentance and the coming of the kingdom of god ii. Jesus adopted many of the teachings around the age of 30 iii. When john was imprisoned Jesus took up his teaching c. Quote Durant He taught with the simplicity required by his audiences, with interesting stories that insinuated his lessons into the understanding, with pungent aphorisms rather than with reasoned argument, and with

5 similes and metaphors as brilliant as any in literature. The parable form that he used was customary in the East d. His Death i. During the feast of Passover, shocked by the clamor in the Temple he and his followers turned over the money tables. ii. After that he taught in the Temple unhindered but stayed out of the city at night. iii. Jewish authorities thought he may begin a futile revolt against Rome and that may lead to the end of relatively local autonomy iv. The Last Supper and Trial 1. Identifies the Betrayal of Judas 2. That night he was arrested 3. There was a Jewish court already set up, Witnesses recalled his threats to destroy the Temple 4. When asked if he was the messiah, the son of god Jesus reportedly said I am he 5. They found him guilty of blasphemy and brought him to the procurator, Pontius Pilate v. Pontius Pilate 1. Later to be brought to Rome on corruption charges and cruelty, he was removed from office. 2. Rome condemned Jesus as a revolutionary 3. Iesus Nazararthaeus Rex Ioudaeorum (INRI) 4. A large crowd gathered at his crucifixion 5. Mark and Matthew state that his last words were My God, my god why hast thou forsaken me? 6. Luke changed it to Father into they hands I commend my spirit a. Which mirrors Psalms 31:5 vi. Was he dead? 1. Pilate questions Jesus death after only six hours. 2. The two thieves next to him were still alive. E. The Resurrection a. "the resurrection is not a historical event... the event itself falls outside the scope of history and into the realm of faith Reza Islan b. Part of tradition in certain Jewish sects i. Pharisees believed in it, Sadducees did not. c. What is important is that Christians believed it. F. The Gospels a. Quote Durant He taught with the simplicity required by his audiences, with interesting stories that insinuated his lessons into the understanding, with pungent aphorisms rather than with reasoned argument, and with

6 similes and metaphors as brilliant as any in literature. The parable form that he used was customary in the East G. The Apostle Paul a. Paul created the doctrinal theology i. It grew through the absorption of pagan faith and ritual ii. It eventually became a triumphant Church through Roman organization b. Paul still practiced Judiasm and mixed in the teachings of Jesus i. He did alarm the Jews who had him arrested and flogged. ii. As numbers increased he made seven deacons by the laying of hands iii. Steven one of the deacons, was stoned to death, 1. His followers fled to Samaria and Antioch and established communities there. c. Paul i. Was a Jew, but Roman Citizen ii. He was not formally educated iii. Paul originally persecuted Christians, but had dramatic conversion d. Paul s Ministry i. Paul spread the story of the death and resurrection in his travels ii. He converted Jews and Gentiles iii. He helped independent Churches with belief and practice, he was the link to the individual communities. e. The Epistles i. Letters generally written by Paul to the churches ii. Theological questions, morality, ethics and church organization. H. The Growth of the Early Church a. Organization i. Christian communities were well organized ii. Under the guidance of a bishop 1. Bishops were elected b. Apostolic succession i. Belief that the authority of the bishop was based on the powers given by Jesus to his disciples ii. Accepted as doctrine by the end of the 2 nd century c. Persecution i. The organization of the church help it survive the persecution ii. They were unpopular in Roman communities iii. They were usually the lowest classes and did not have legal protection iv. They were very secretive v. They were made easy scapegoats A. Christianizing the Roman Empire

7 a. It spread by word of mouth b. Message was believed to be validated by miracles performed by the apostles. c. It spread slow at first, but steadily i. Accurate numbers are hard to come by. ii. Began with followers of Jesus iii. Small communities were spread throughout the Mediterranean iv. Over three centuries they were 5% of the empire about 3 million people d. Constantine i. Major impact to the religion ii. In early 4 th century, by the end of the century half the empire was Christian iii. Details are a bit sketchy, and mostly legend 1. The most well-known account allegedly described by Constantine himself involves his dream the night before his significant battle with his rival for power, Maxentius, in 312 C.E., in which he saw the sign of the cross and was told, by this, conquer. e. Theodosius I ( ) i. Made Christianity the official state religion ii. He outlawed pagan practices. f. Why was it so successful? i. It certainly had to be the message ii. There was a general resurgence of cults and practices iii. Proclaimed attachment to one god, following him meant abandoning others. iv. So they destroyed other religions while promoting their own. v. Fierce devotion of its adherents, they stayed true in the face of danger. Christian success was due to many concurrent factors. A. The rise in religiosity in the Roman empire in the second and third century aided the spread of Christianity. 1. The second and third centuries AD have been termed by one scholar The Age of Anxiety. 2. People were looking to new religious forms for comfort in an uncertain world. Magic, superstition, and oracles all boomed in popularity. 3. A clear manifestation of this anxiety is the great popularity of eastern mystery religions that brought the initiated into a close contract with the deity (e.g., Isis, Mithras, etc.). These religions were exclusive and promised great rewards, and they also charged for initiation. B. Christianity offered more than philosophy or the mystery religions, and the Church was well organized.

8 1. In contrast to these competing systems, Christianity offered more. a. Philosophical humanism needed education to understand, while Christianity did not. b. Mystery religions were expensive, while Christianity was free. c. Christianity accepted all comers. d. Its doctrines promised eternal future succor in return for temporary present suffering. 2. The Church was well organized into cells (churches) under local bishops and deacons. 3. By AD 300, nevertheless, Christians comprised only a handful of the population but they were well established, well organized, and dedicated. 4. The fourth century was to bring them triumph. 5. To observe this process, we must return to our narrative.