Download The Historical Background of Christianity

The Historical Background
of Christianity
The Jewish Heritage

Israel
– AKA “the Hebrews”
– First recorded national
history
– Founders of “Western
religious tradition”
– Origins: the patriarchs
(ca. 2000-1500 BC)
Abraham and Isaac
The Jewish Heritage

The Exodus and Sinai
(ca. 1300 BC)
– Israelites oppressed in
Egypt  slave labor
– Moses led Israelites
out of Egypt 
Promised Land
– Ten Commandments,
the Torah given
Moses and the Ten Commandments
The Jewish Heritage
1956
1998
The Jewish Heritage
2014
The Jewish Heritage

Hebrew Religion
– Monotheistic
– YHWH
– Cult
 Tabernacle, sacred
furniture
 Altars
 Male priesthood
 Holy days
The Jewish Heritage
1981
The Jewish Heritage

United Monarchy in Israel
(ca. 1020-928 BC)
– Hebrew Kingship
 King not divine
 YHWH’s servant, vassal
 Bound by Law
– David (r. 1004-965 BC)
 Shepherd, mercenary
 Expansion, conquest
– Jerusalem
 Musician
– Solomon (r. 965-928 BC)
 Temple
 Israel at its zenith
The Jewish Heritage
Solomon’s Temple, Jerusalem
(ca. 965 – 928 BC)
The Jewish Heritage

Divided Kingdom
(928-722 BC)
– Had been ruled by kings in
Judah
– Kingdom of Israel
 Idol worship
 Conquered by Assyria
(722 BC)
– Kingdom of Judah
 Monotheism, but
“relapsed” into polytheism
 Conquered by NeoBabylon
(598-586 BC)
The Jewish Heritage

King Cyrus the Great
(r. 559-530 BC)
Return from Exile
– Process began 539 BC
– Jews permitted to
return to homeland,
rebuild Temple
– Temple under
construction (536-515
BC)  “Second-temple
Judaism”
The Jewish Heritage

The Jews Encounter Hellenism
– Under Hellenistic Rule (198-167 BC)
 Antiochus Epiphanes attacked Jerusalem, built fortress
 Ordered Jews to abandon religious practices
 “Abomination of Desolation”
– The Maccabean Revolt (167-142 BC)
 Jews revolted under Judas Maccabeus (167-142 BC)
 Guerrilla warfare  Jewish victory, independence
 Rededication of Temple (164 BC)
The Jewish Heritage
Hanukkah!
The Jewish Heritage

King Herod the Great
Roman Occupation of
Palestine
– Jews had been ruled
by priest-kings
– Romans invaded 63 BC
 end of
independence
– “Client-kings” installed
 Herod the Great
(r. 37 BC - 4 AD)
The Jewish Heritage
The Second Temple (“Herod’s Temple”)
The Jewish Heritage

Questions?
Greco-Roman Religion

The Roman Empire
– Augustus Caesar
(r. 29 BC- 14 AD)
 Victory (31 BC)  master
of the Roman world
 Ruled as constitutional
monarch with Senate
– Brought stability, reform,
and peace (Pax romana)
– Succeeded by JulioClaudian emperors
Augustus Caesar
Greco-Roman Religion

Traditional Religion
– Polytheistic
– Roman pantheon 
religion of State
– Numerous priesthoods,
famous shrines
The Vestal Virgins
Greco-Roman Religion
The Pantheon (118-125 AD), Rome
Greco-Roman Religion
Greco-Roman Religion
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Neo-Platonism
– “Intellectual mysticism”
– Derived from Plato (427-348 BC)
 Theory of Forms
 Dualism, immortality of soul
– Teachings
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All reality emanates from “the One”
The One is immaterial, impersonal, eternal
Lowest level is matter
Through contemplation  ecstatic union with the One
Greco-Roman Religion

The Mystery Religions
– Musterion = “secret”
– Devotees “initiated” into mysteries, not “born
into” them
– Attractive!
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Communion, connection with particular deity
Ethical guidance
Peace in this life
Spiritual equality among initiates
Eternal afterlife in union with the cult deity
Greco-Roman Religion
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The Cult of Isis
– Egyptian goddess 
refashioned for GrecoRoman world
– Symbolic of all female
deities
– Cult of afterlife and
“suffering mother”
– Popular among women
Greco-Roman Religion

Mithras Slaying the Bull,
British Museum
Mithraism
– Mithras: Persian god of
light and truth
– Blood of sacred slain
bull is “source of life”
– Sacramental meal:
bread and water
– Popular among Roman
soldiers
Greco-Roman Religion
S. Clemente, Rome
Mithraeum, beneath S. Clemente
Greco-Roman Religion
2011
Greco-Roman Religion

Other Themes
– Magic
 Goal: manipulate “the
divine”
 “Occult”
– Astrology
Greco-Roman Religion

Emperor Worship
– Some emperors deified
after death
– Imperial cult
 Offer incense before an
image of the emperor
– Test of loyalty to the
State
 Foundations during
reign of Augustus
Cult statue of Augustus (early 1st cent.)
Greco-Roman Religion
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Questions?
Historical Background of Christianity

How can we compare/contrast Judaism
and Greco-Roman religion?