Download The Roman Empire and Religion

The Roman Empire and
Religion
Terms to Tackle :
Christianity
Jesus of Nazareth
Messiah
Crucifixion
Resurrection
Apostles
Paul of Tarsus
Constantine
Are there
any terms you
recognize?
Many Romans adopted the Greek gods as their own but renamed them.
The Tolerant Romans
• When Romans took
over new lands,
they allowed the
people to continue
to practice their
own religions.
• Sometimes, they
even adopted the
conquered peoples’
religions.
Some even
adopted
Egyptian
gods.
Religious Freedom
Causes Problems
• If Romans saw a
religion as a
problem, they
made it so the
people of that
religion couldn’t
meet.
• Judaism was one
religion seen by
the Romans as a
problem.
Judaism is a monotheistic religion. Romans
found it disrespectful for the Jews to not worship
many gods.
Clashes with the Jews
• The Romans
allowed the Jews
to practice their
religion.
• However, the Jews
resented Roman
rule and tried many
times to get
Romans out of
Judea, the territory
where many Jews
lived.
Despite multiple
attempts,
the Jews failed
to get the Romans
out of Judea.
Judea
See if you can find Rome. Check
Out how much the empire grew!
Jerusalem is Crushed
• Jews were treated
harshly and taxed
heavily.
• Wanting to get rid
of Jews, certain
Jewish rituals were
banned.
• This treatment
caused the Jews to
rebel.
Despite being
destroyed, Jews
persevered and
moved to other
places.
The Romans conquered the Jews’ holy land, Jerusalem.
They kicked the Jews out and forbade them to enter.
Jews believed
The Messiah would come if
They followed Moses’s rules.
Messiah means
God’s
anointed one.
A New Religion
• Before the Jews
were kicked out of
Rome, some lived
in Judea.
• Since the Romans
were SOOO strict,
the Jews lived very
structured lives.
• They believed a
Messiah would
soon be sent to
them by God.
Christianity and Jesus
of Nazareth
• Christianity is a
religion that began to
appear in Judea based
on Jesus’ teachings.
• Jesus was believed to
be the Messiah that
the Jews were waiting
for.
• Much of what we know
of Jesus is written in
the Christian’s holy
book, the Bible.
The bible is broken into the Old Testament
and the New Testament.
As a man, Jesus probably studied carpentry with Joseph, but
When he turned 30 he began to travel and teach about religion.
The Birth of Jesus
Christians
believe God
was Jesus’ father,
not Joseph.
• Jesus was born in
Bethlehem.
• His birth marks the
shift in our dating
system from B.C.
to A.D.
• Jesus’ mother’s
name was Mary,
and Mary’s
husband was
named Joseph.
People were
very excited
about Jesus and
his teachings.
Crucifixion
• Jesus was super
popular!
• However, Jesus’
ideas challenged
politicians in Rome.
• In the Bible it says
that Jesus was
arrested around AD
30.
Jesus was executed by crucifixion. In other words, he was
nailed to a cross and left for dead.
People began to call him Christ from the word Christos,
meaning Messiah in Greek.
Resurrection
The Last Supper
is a famous
painting by
da Vinci that shows
Jesus eating final meal
with his
Apostles.
• After Jesus was crucified,
he was buried.
• According to Christian
beliefs, Jesus rose from
the dead and exited his
tomb.
• Many of Jesus’ followers
believed to have seen him
even after he died.
• It was this resurrection
that made his followers
sure that he was the
Messiah.
For centuries, Jesus’ teachings have been interpreted. Because people interpret
things differently, many denominations of Christianity have developed.
Jesus’ Teachings
• Jesus taught his
followers many
things.
• Jesus was Jewish,
so many of his
ideas were rooted
in Jewish
traditions.
Salvation
from
Sin.
Be generous
to the poor
and the sick.
Love your
enemies.
Love God
and love others.
Love
God more
than
anything.
Four gospels
are found
in the New
Testament.
John
Mark
Jesus’ Teachings
Spread
Matthew
• Jesus chose 12
disciples to receive
special training.
• These disciples
earned the name
Apostle.
• These Apostles
Luke
had the job of
spreading Jesus’
teachings.
Apostles and disciples wrote gospels, which were stories of
Jesus’ life and teachings.
Paul of Tarsus
• Paul of Tarsus was the
most important part in
the spread of
Christianity.
• He wrote letters that
told about Jesus’
resurrection and his
ideas of salvation.
• Paul also told
Christians they did not
have to obey Jewish
laws and rituals.
Christianity Grows
Christians were
persecuted, or
punished because
of their beliefs.
This persecution did not stop
Christians from believing in Jesus’
teachings.
• Christianity spread
amongst Jews first and
then amongst nonJews.
• Romans began to
challenge Christians
like they had
challenged the Jews.
• Some Christians were
killed or arrested for
not believing in Roman
Gods.
Constantine and
Christianity
• Christians were
forced to meet in
secret.
• However, they still
spread their faith.
• In the early 300s,
Constantine
became emperor
and lifted the ban
on Christianity.
Later, Christianity became the official
religion of Rome
.
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KEY POINTS
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