The Roman World

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Rome Day 1 Geography Rome Day 2 Structure of the Republic Rome Day 3 Punic Wars

Rome Day 4 Republic to Empire Rome Day 5 Roman Society Rome Day 6 Christianity

Rome Day 7 Fall of Rome Rome Day 8 Review Unit Plan for Rome

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Section 5: The Rise of Christianity

In this section you will learn about the conditions Jews faced in Judaea.

1. Explain how conditions contributed to the rise of Christianity.

2. Explain two difficulties early Christians experienced under Roman Rule.

3. Explain how changes in the late Roman Empire helped establish the Christian religion and stabilize the church.

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Vocabulary

rabbis: Jewish scholars who interpreted scripture and Jewish Law

Jesus: Jewish founder of Christianity, whose teachings greatly influenced the Western world

martyrs: Persons put to death for their beliefs

bishops: Heads of the early Christian Church in major cities

patriarchs: Bishops of the major centers of the early Christian Church

pope: Title assumed by the patriarch of Rome and head of the Catholic Church; from the Latin word meaning “father”

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Section 5 Summary

The Romans allowed the provinces to practice their own religions. But they also had to honor the Roman gods and the “divine spirit” of the emperor. For most people, adding another god was not a problem. But Jews in the province of Judea believed in only one God. Some Jews favored rebellion. Others hoped that God would send a Messiah, or savior, to free the Jews. In A.D. 66 the Jews revolted. The Jewish Diaspora - 70 AD the dispersing of the Jewish people from the holy land.

(Western Wall Info)

The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and all but the western wall of the temple, which became a sacred Jewish site. With the temple gone, the priests’ role weakened. Rabbis—Jewish scholars who interpreted scripture and Jewish Law—began to lead Jewish congregations. In A.D. 135 the Roman s crushed the last Jewish revolt and banned all Jews from Jerusalem. Jews built communities outside Jerusalem, where they carried on their faith and culture.

In this setting Christianity arose. Around A.D. 27 Jesus of Nazareth began wandering the countryside with his disciples, or followers, teaching and performing miracles. His teachings, which greatly influenced the Western world, were grounded in Jewish traditions. He taught that there is one true God, who cares more for people than for laws or rituals. His teachings were for all people, including the poor. The Romans feared that Jesus would lead an uprising. He was arrested, put on trial, and crucified. According to the Gospels, Jesus arose from the dead and remained on Earth for 40 days. Then he ascended into heaven. His followers called him Christ, after the Greek word for Messiah, Christos. They believed that through his death and resurrection all people could be redeemed, or saved, from God’s final judgment. A new religion was born—Christianity.

Jesus’s disciples set out to spread the word that the day of judgment was coming. At first Christianity spread slowly. It expanded as life in the empire became more difficult. At first the Roman government ignored Christians as a Jewish offshoot. But Christians began converting others and speaking out against the worship of other god. The Romans viewed these actions as attacks on Roman religion. Nero & Persecution link

(Christian Catacombs in Rome)

Video link # 2 Catacombs

Read the attached link

Christianity: The Great Appeal

Why did Christianity appeal to the poor?

They outlawed Christianity, seized Christian property, and executed Christians. Many Christians became martyrs, meaning they were put to death for their beliefs. But the religion spread. (Primary Source: Tacitus)

The pope and bishops traced their authority to Jesus’s disciple Peter, whose authority came straight from Jesus. Church councils also helped strengthen the church. In A.D. 325 a council wrote down the main beliefs of the church.

In 392 CE, Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire.

1. What factors and events in Judaea contributed to the rise of Christianity?

Many factors and events in Judaea contributed to the rise of Christianity. Jews in Judaea believed in only one God, but the Romans wanted people to honor the gods of Rome. The Jews revolted to establish an independent state. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and banned the Jews from their holy city. The Jews built communities outside Jerusalem to carry on their faith and culture, and Christianity arose there. Jesus’s teachings were grounded in Jewish tradition, and some Jews saw Jesus as a Messiah who would lead the Jews to freedom.

2. What difficulties did Christians experience under Roman rule?

The Romans outlawed Christianity, seized Christian property, and put Christians to death for their beliefs.

3. What changes and events occurred during the late Roman Empire that helped establish Christianity and stabilize the church?

The first great change that helped establish Christianity during the late Roman Empire was the support of the Roman emperor Constantine. Then the emperor Theodosius made Christianity the empire’s official religion. The church became more stabilized when it became better organized into priests, bishops, patriarchs, and pope. Church councils also helped collect and spread Christianity’s main beliefs.