1. Rise of Christianity

2. I. Jesus was the founder of Christianity that was born about 6-4 B.C. in the town of Bethlehem CHRISTMAS!

3. 1. Jesus was a Jew whose life and teachings result in the creation of Christianity. Christians believe he is the son of God.

4. 2. His message—began preaching at about age 30 around 26 A.D. a. Monotheistic (belief in only one god) b. Must follow the 10 Commandments

5. 1. Thou shall have no other gods before me. 2. Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol. 3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. 5. Honor thy father & mother. 6. Thou shall not murder. 7. Thou shall not commit adultery. 8. Thou shall not steal. 9. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 10. Thou shall not covet they neighbor’s wife.

6. c. He stressed the importance of peoples’ love for God, their neighbor, and even their enemy d. Life after death in an eternal kingdom (heaven) for those who were sorry for their sins.

7. 3. As Jesus preached from town to town, his popularity grew, especially to the poor.

8. 4. Jesus’ death—his popularity threatened Roman rulers who were polytheistic. a. 29 A.D.— Roman ruler Pontius Pilate had Jesus crucified

9. b. According to the Gospel, after his death Jesus rose from the dead three days after being placed in his tomb EASTER!

10. II.Christianity Spread Throughout the Empire: 1. Pax Romana—made conditions perfect for spreading Christianity a. Excellent road system b. Common Language (Latin)

12. 2. Apostles—12 followers of Jesus who spread his teachings after his death and taught that: a. Jesus is the son of God who died for our sins

13. b. Christianity welcomes all converts.

14. III. Persecution of Christians: Initially, Christians were persecuted because they refused to worship Roman gods. They were seen as opposition to Roman rule

15. 1. Thousands of Christians were burned, crucified, or killed by wild animals in the arena.

16. 2. Despite this, by 300 A.D., there were one million Christians in the Roman Empire.

18. IV. Constantine Roman Emperor announced the end of Christian persecution 1. Edict of Milan—(313 A.D.) In this document, Constantine proclaims Christianity approved by the emperor

19. 2. 380 A.D.— Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

20. 1. Create a timeline, labeling all of the key dates for the Roman Empire we have discussed so far. 2. Start with Caesar and end with the Edict of Milan. 3. You must have at least 8 dates and 2 pictures.