1. The Rise of Christianity

2. Early Empire Includes Diverse Religions
Polytheism
Stoicism=Cicero
Cult of Isis=started in Egypt, women equal to men
Cult of Mithras=Persian, good over evil, life after death, military following

3. Roman Government allowed other religions as long as citizens showed loyalty by honoring the Roman gods, paying taxes, and not rebelling.

4. Jews Come Under Roman Rule
Roman power spread to Judea (Palestine) around 63 B.C.E.
Jerusalem “Romanized”, King Herod
Jews began to revolt

5. Judea was made a Roman province in A.D. 6
Sanhedrin, Jewish court, had control
Two factions of Jews: one wanted to rid homeland of Romans, other believed God would send a Messiah to save them (Essenes)

6. Jesus Born in Bethlehem, Judea around 4 B.C.E. Jew and Roman subject
Raised in Nazareth
Carpenter
Jesus

8. Jesus’ Message: Began ministry at 30
Did good works, reportedly performed miracles
Continued traditional Jewish beliefs
                                         

9. Love God, your neighbors, and your enemies
Emphasized God’s personal relationship to each human being
Love God, your neighbors, and your enemies
Repent of your sins and go to Heaven

10. Jesus had pupils or followers that were his disciples
Jesus had pupils or followers that were his disciples. Not much is written in historical records about Jesus.

11. Most information about him comes from the Gospels (Good News) and epistles written by apostles found in the Holy Bible.

12. Jesus’ Death: His popularity grew which upset Jewish and Roman leaders
Jewish priests said he was a blasphemer, not a messiah
Roman leaders thought he challenged Roman authority, “kingdom of God is at hand”

13. Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion by Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea, for plotting to overthrow the Roman government.

14. After Jesus’ death his body was placed in a tomb
After Jesus’ death his body was placed in a tomb. According to the Gospels, three days later his body was gone, and a living Jesus began appearing to his followers. Then Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus came to be known as Christ, from Christos the Greek word for “messiah” or “savior”.

15. Christianity Spreads:
First followers were Jews, then non-Jewish peoples converted
Paul of Tarsus, traveled and wrote to churches (epistles)
Common languages in Empire, also roads helped it spread
Universal, accepted everyone

16. Jewish Rebellion (Jewish War):
A.D. 66, Zealots rebelled against Rome
A.D. 70, Romans destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem, except West Wall
A.D. 132, another rebellion
The Jewish political state ceased to exist until 1948.
Diaspora or dispersal from homeland

17. Persecution of the Christians:
Christians refused to worship Roman gods or emperor
Peter and Paul put to death around A.D. 60
Many Christians became martyrs
Numbers kept rising, missionaries spread the faith

18. Christianity, A World Religion:
Embraced all people (male/female, rich/poor)
Gave hope to the powerless
Offered a personal relationship with a loving God
Eternal life after death

19. Structure: priests at local level, bishop over several churches, bishop of Rome was the Pope
Peter: first bishop of Rome, the “rock”, first Pope or head of Christian Church

20. The conversion of Emperor Constantine made it legal to be Christian through the Edict of Milan in 313 C.E.
325 C.E., disputes over beliefs led to the Nicene Creed
380 C.E., Emperor Theodosius made it the official religion of the Empire