Learning about Jesus earthly life will enrich our understanding of the Incarnation. Section 3: Part 2 The Human Jesus

A. THE NEW TESTAMENT WORLD OF JESUS 1. JESUS MINISTRY TOOK PLACE AT A PARTICULAR TIME AND IN A PARTICULAR PLACE. 2. IF WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND HIS LIFE MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH THE WORLD HE LIVED IN- THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT WHICH PRODUCED THE NT.

B. THE HOLY LAND (See Map) 1. KNOWN BY MANY NAMES: PALESTINE, ISRAEL, PROMISED LAND, ETC. 2. 145 MILES NORTH TO SOUTH 25 MILES WIDE IN THE NORTH, 87 MILES WIDE IN THE SOUTH NEAR THE DEAD SEA. 3. STRATEGIC PLACE AS A CROSSROADS FOR MANY EMPIRES. a. Much commercial trade b. Often conquered by other nations. 4. GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE- MOUNTAINS, HILLS, LAKES, DESERTS, FORESTS.

5. 3 KEY REGIONS of the Holy Land a. GALILEE: : NORTHERN REGION OF ISRAEL. Center of Jesus earthly ministry FERTILE, HILLY PROSPEROUS FOR FARMERS AND SHEPHERDS, AS WELL AS FISHERMAN BECAUSE OF THE SEA OF GALILEE. JESUS FROM NAZARETH, CITY IN GALILEE, population 1200. BEGINS HIS MINISTRY HERE, CALLS DISCIPLES ALONG THE SEA OF GALILEE, PERFORMED MANY MIRACLES IN CAPERNAUM, WEDDING OF CANA.

Galilee, From the Mount of Beatitudes (R)

Model of a boat/sea of Galilee

Nazareth, Galilee

Regions (cont.) b. SAMARIA: : NORTH-CENTRAL REGION, SOUTH OF GALILEE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WHOM SETTLED IN PALESTINE AFTER THE ASSYRIAN CONQUEST. GREATLY HATED BY THE JEWS, CONSIDERED HERETICAL BECAUSE THEY REJECTED THE PROPHETS AND WRITINGS IN THE JEWISH CANON, ALSO WORSHIPPED IN TEMPLE ON MT. GERIZIM JESUS SPEAKS TO THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL IN JN. 4., PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN IN LK. 10. A SMALL GROUP OF SAMARITANS STILL EXIST TODAY.

View of Samaria from Mt. Gerizim

Mt. Gerizim (L)

Samaritan Passover

Samaritan High Priest

Passover Lamb

Roasting the Lamb

Regions (cont.) c. JUDEA: : SOUTHERNMOST REGION DRY, BARREN, DESERT-LIKE WATER SCARCE CENTER: CAPITOL CITY OF JERUSALEM JESUS BAPTIZED IN THE JORDAN, RETREATS TO DESERT FOR 40 DAYS BEFORE HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY, BORN IN BETHLEHEM, DIES IN JERUSALEM, HEALS A BLIND MAN IN JERICHO, WOMAN ANOINTS JESUS IN BETHANY.

Arial view of Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Herodian Temple in Jerusalem

Herodian Temple

Western Wall AKA Wailing Wall

Western Wall/ www.thekotel.org

Praying at the Wall

Prayer Area

Garden of Gethsemane- Mount of Olives

Cave in Qumran

Qumran cave

Interior of cave

Entrance to Qumran cave

6. BODIES OF WATER WEST: MEDITERRANEAN SEA EAST: SEA OF GALILEE, JORDAN RIVER, DEAD SEA.

Jordan River

Dead Sea

Dead Sea Shoreline

Dead Sea Rocks

C. POLITICAL SCENE IN JESUS DAY 1. PALESTINE-- --PART OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN 63 B.C. 2. PALESTINE -A A VASSAL STATE, SUBJECT TO ROMAN EMPEROR. 3. HEROD THE GREAT- KING OF JUDEA IN 37 B.C.

4. HEROD THE GREAT a. GREATLY IMPROVED PALESTINE BY BUILDING GYMS, BATHS, THEATRES, AND RESTORING THE JEWISH TEMPLE. b. HEAVILY TAXED THE CITIZENS c. Was a cruel ruler- KILLING OF THE MALE BABIES IN MT., KILLED SEVERAL OF HIS SONS AND A WIFE. d. ALTHOUGH KING OF THE JEWS, HE WAS A HELLENIST AT HEART. HATED BY THE JEWS. e. DIED IN 4 B.C.

5. HIS KINGDOM WAS DIVIDED AMONG HIS THREE SONS: HEROD ARCHELAUS (4 B.C.- 6 A.D.): (HEAD OF JUDEA, SAMARIA AND IDUMEA.) HEROD ANTIPAS (4 B.C.-39 A.D.): (HEAD OF GALILEE AND PEREA), EXECUTED JBAP. HEROD PHILIP (4 B.C.-34 A.D.): (GIVEN THE REGION E. AND N. OF THE SEA OF GALILEE.)

6. AFTER ARCHELAUS WAS BANISHED, HIS TERRITORY WAS REDUCED TO A PROVINCE a.. PROCURATOR ruled over a province. b. MILITARY ADMINISTRATOR: who MAINTAINED PUBLIC ORDER c. FINANCIAL Administrator: COLLECTED TRIBUTE FOR THE EMPEROR.

7. PONTIUS PILATE, PROCURATOR OF JUDEA (26-36 A.D.) a. stern, inflexible, cruel b. stole money from the Temple treasury c. unjust executions d. sent to Rome because of his cruelty

8. JEWS FINALLY REVOLTED AGAINST ROMAN OCCUPATION IN 66 A.D. a. ROMAN-JEWISH WAR ENDS IN 70 A.D. b. JEWS DEFEATED. c. End of Biblical Judaism- No temple, No sacrifices.

D. RELIGIOUS FEAST AND PRACTICES OF JESUS TIME 1. SYNAGOGUE a. Greek word meaning assembly b. house of prayer, legal settlements, local school c. opened 3 times a day for prayer d. 10 men must be present to begin the service e. No priests used, leader from the town was appointed.

2. TEMPLE a. One and Only in Jerusalem. b. offered sacrifice to God. c. Priests made the sacrifices. d. Jews required to pay a temple tax. e. Jewish men required to take a pilgrimage to the Temple at Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

3. JEWISH FEASTS a. Passover b. Pentecost- 50 days after Passover, celebrated Yahweh s s giving of the Law to Moses. c. Tabernacles, (AKA Booths)- Pilgrims to Jerusalem built huts out of branches to remind them of the time the Jews spent in the wilderness. Processed to the Temple waving branches and praising God.

E. RELIGIOUS GROUPS 1. PHARISEES- a. separated ones : : separated themselves from those who did not observe the Law as they did b. Strict observance of the Law, the very letter of the Law. c. Developed elaborate oral tradition/oral law to help them follow the letter of the Law in their daily life. d. Criticized Jesus for associating with people who did not strictly observe the Law. e. Saved Judaism after 70 A.D. by gathering the rabbis together and setting the canon and the liturgical calendar.

2. SADDUCEES- a.priests AND ARISTOCRATS b. SUPERVISED TEMPLE WORSHIP AND PRACTICE c. COLLABORATED WITH THE ROMANS IN ORDER TO RETAIN THEIR POWER AND POSITION. d. MADE UP THE SANHEDRIN, WITH THE PHARISEES. e. DISAPPEARED AFTER 70 A.D.

3. ESSENES a. WITHDREW TO A DESERT COMMUNITY OF QUMRAN b. CELIBATE LIFE, SHARED GOODS, RITUAL PURITY c. LIVED STRICT, ASCETIC LIVES d. BELIEVED GOD S S REIGN WOULD BE REVEALED IN SOME CATASTROPHIC EVENT. e. DISAPPEARED AFTER 70 A.D. f. Dead Sea scrolls were the writings of this group.

4. ZEALOTS a. DESPISED ROMAN RULE b. BELIEVED IN VIOLENCE TO OVERTHROW THEIR ENEMIES. c. PROTESTED TAXATION AND ROMAN OCCUPATION DURING JESUS DAY.

F. OTHER PEOPLE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 1. TAX COLLECTORS a. Despised by the Jews because they worked with the Romans. b. Were often corrupt 2. COMMON PEOPLE a. Jesus associated with these people. b. Open to his message

Other People (Cont.) 3. GENTILES a. Proselytes- converts to Judaism b. God-fearers fearers- accepted Jewish beliefs, but were not circumcised. 4. WOMEN a. considered inferior to men b. segregated from men during Temple and synagogue worship. c. Their domain was the home and child-rearing. d. Jesus elevated the position of women.