A strange, harsh world with tenderness and dignity The New Testament World

 Roman rule 63 BCE to 70+ CE Peace and taxation  Jewish residents History of foreign rule Hellenized culture  Aramaic spoken  Christ followers “God-fearing” Gentiles from Judaism Jews who followed Christ and Torah  Pharisees Torah teachers  Sadducees Temple priests  Essenes Flee city for desert  Zealots Seek political freedom  Herodians Have political power  Samaritans  Gentiles First-century Palestine

Herod the Great  37 – 4 BCE  Idumean (from coastal people; not fully Jewish)  Politically astute (plays all sides)  Initiated building programs Creating jobs Feeding people Offending some by celebrating Greek culture  Enlarged Jerusalem Temple Political Situation under Rome: Palestine

Emperor’s Pax Romana  Public building programs Aqueducts Roads (facilitate trade and movement of armies) Gymnasiums and Spas  Crime reduction on roads and seas Protects trade routes and pleases merchant class  High taxes Peasant farmers pay for public works program  Impoverished people become slaves Political Situation under Rome: Empire-wide

 Rome permitted innocuous religions  Rome condemned all social unrest i.e., prophets seeking social change thieves, traitors, insurgents  60 CE Emperor Nero purged Rome  64–70 CE War in Palestine-Jerusalem  110 CE Jerusalem closed to Jews  112 CE Christianity becomes a crime “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach  136 CE Bar Kochba Revolt Judaism and Christianity under Rome Judaism and Christianity under Rome

Hellenism in Palestine “Reclining” at tables (rather than sitting up) Surgical operations to reverse male circumcision Aramaic spoken (Hebrew for ceremony) And Roman syncretism in Judaism Wisdom theology Dualism  Good vs. evil Apocalypticism  Deterministic view of history  God is in charge Hellenism: Greek Culture under Roman Rule Hellenism: Greek Culture under Roman Rule

Hellenism in Diaspora  Jews left Palestine over hundreds of years For business and trade Fleeing war or changes in political climate  Synagogues over Jerusalem Temple Houses of prayer; not sacrificial rites  Rabbis over priests  Torah over sacrifices  Greek spoken over Hebrew or Aramaic  Septuagint writings over Hebrew Hellenism: Greek Culture under Roman Rule Hellenism: Greek Culture under Roman Rule

 Epicureans Free will Tranquility  Stoicism Virtue is highest calling Logic and reason control emotion  Cynicism Radical authenticity Extreme independence  Mystery religions Secret societies  Honor of the emperor Worship or patriotism?  Animism Belief in spirit world  Augury Oracles Fortune/future tellers  Supernaturalism Miracles Divine men Roman Philosophies and Religion

 2nd – 4th century phenomenon  Worldview Anything material = evil Spirit = good Soma sema—a Greek refrain meaning “the body is a tomb”  Syncretistic—mixes with any religion  Gnostic Christianity (after first century) Christ the spiritual redeemer brings secret knowledge  View 1 Liberate spirit from flesh—renounce (ignore or harm) body  View 2 Spirit is already free of flesh, bodily excess won’t hurt spirit Gnosticism