The Rise of Christianity
- Roman power spread to Judea, the home of the Jews, around 63 B.C.
- Sometime around 6 to 4 B.C., a Jew named Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea
- At the age of 30 he began his public ministry
- The 12 men that followed Jesus are called the apostles
- Christos is a Greek word that means "messiah" or "savior"
- The name Christianity was derived from "Christ"
- Despite political and religious opposition, the new religion of Christianity spread slowly but steadily throughout the Roman Empire
- Paul: a Jew who had an enormous influence on Christianity's development
- In 70 A.D., the Romans stormed Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple complex
- The dispersal of the Jews is called the Diaspora
- Romans exiled, imprisoned, or executed Christians for refusing to worship Roman deities
- Thousands were crucified, burned, or killed by wild animals in the circus arena
Christianity grew because....
- it embraced all people
- gave hope to the powerless
- appealed to those who were repelled by the extravagances of Imperial Rome
- offered a personal relationship with God
- promised life after death
- bishop: also a priest, supervised several local Churches
- Peter: first Pope - the father or leader of the Christian Church
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