The Rise of Christianity

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Ancient Rome and Early Christianity 153 SETTING THE STAGE The worship of Roman gods was impersonal, practiced without a great deal of emotion. Priests used sacred rites to intercede on behalf of worshippers. A new religion called Christianity, born as a movement within Judaism, emphasized the personal relationship between God and people.

It attracted many Romans. Jews Come Under Roman Rule Roman power spread to Judea, the home of the Jews, around 63 B . C .At Frst the Jewish kingdom remained independent, at least in name.

Jewish kings ruled as repre- sentatives of Rome. Some Jews allied with the Romans and accepted their plans to cRomanize d Jerusalem. The ruler Herod, for example, was a Romanized Jew.

His loy- alties were divided between Rome and the Jewish people, but he ruled with an iron hand and angered many Jews. When he died, the Jews began a revolt against Roman inGuence that lasted for ten years. Rome Fnally took control of the Jewish kingdom and made it the province of Judea in A .

D .6. In an attempt to restore order in Judea, the Romans gave control of reli- gious matters and local affairs to the Jewish court called the Sanhedrin. Jews were ... more. less.

divided into two major factions. One group, called the Zealots, wanted to rid their homeland of the Romans. Another group believed that the Messiah, or savior, was soon to appear. According to biblical tradition, God had promised that the Messiah would restore the kingdom of the Jews. The Life and Teachings of Jesus Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The date is uncertain but is thought to have been around 6 to 4 B . C .Jesus was both a Jew and a Roman subject. He was raised in the village of Nazareth in northern Palestine. Jesus was baptized by the prophet known as John the Baptist. As a young man, he took up the trade of carpentry. Jesus 9 Message At the age of 30 Jesus began his public ministry. For the next three years, he preached, taught, did good works, and reportedly performed miracles. His teachings contained many ideas from Jewish tradition, such as monotheism, or belief in only one god, and the principles of the Ten Command- ments. Jesus emphasized God 9s personal relationship to each human being. He stressed the importance of people 9s love for God, their neighbors, their enemies, and even them- selves. He also taught that God would end wickedness in the world and would establish an eternal kingdom after death for people who sincerely repented their sins. Jesus gathered about himself twelve special disciples, or pupils.Historical records of the time mention very little about Jesus. The main source of information about Jesus 9 life and teachings are the Gospels, the Frst four books of the New Testament of the Bible. Some of the Gospels are thought to have been written by one or more of Jesus 9 disciples, who later came to be called apostles. Vocabulary Zealot: has come to mean a fanatically committed person. Background The original dating of the birth of Jesus made in the sixth cen- tury A . D . is now gener- ally recognized as being four to six years in error. Vocabulary Gospel: means good news. The Rise of Christianity 3 TERMS & NAMES "Jesus "apostle "Peter "Paul "Diaspora "bishop "pope "Constantine "heresy MAIN IDEA Christianity arose in Roman-occupied Judea and spread throughout the Roman Empire. WHY IT MATTERS NOW As the world 9s most widespread religion, Christianity guides the lives of millions today. The cross became the universal symbol of Christian- ity. This jewel- studded cross was made by a gold- smith centuries after the death of Jesus. 153-157-0206s3 10/11/02 3:40 PM Page 153 Page 1 of 5 As Jesus preached from town to town, his fame grew. He attracted large crowds, and many people were touched by his message. Many believed him to be the long- awaited Messiah, the son of God. Because Jesus ignored wealth and status, his message had special appeal to the poor. cBlessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth, d he said. His words, as related in the Gospels, are simple and direct: THE BIBLE Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back. Do for others just what you want them to do for you. The Gospel of Luke,6:27 331 Jesus 9 Death Jesus 9 growing popularity concerned both Roman and Jewish leaders. When Jesus visited Jerusalem about A . D .29, enthusiastic crowds greeted him as the Messiah, or king. The chief priests of the Jews denied that Jesus was the Messiah. They said his teachings were blasphemy, or contempt for God. The Roman governor Pontius Pilate thought that Jesus, whom the Romans mockingly called cKing of the Jews, d challenged the authority of Rome. Pilate arrested Jesus and sentenced him to be cruciFed, or nailed to a large wooden cross to die. After Jesus 9 death, his body was placed in a tomb. According to the Gospels, three days later his body was gone, and a living Jesus began appearing to his followers. Then one day it was said that he ascended into heaven. The apostles were more than ever convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. It was from this belief that Jesus came to be referred to as Jesus Christ. Christos is a Greek word meaning cmessiah d or csavior. d The name Christianity was derived from cChrist. d The followers of Jesus were strengthened by their conviction that he had tri- umphed over death. Led by Peter, the Frst apostle, they spread the teachings of Jesus throughout Palestine and Syria. The cross on which he had been cruciFed became a symbol for their beliefs. THINK THROUGH HISTORY A. Hypothesizing Why did the followers of Jesus think he was the Messiah? A. Answer He report- edly worked miracles, did good works, preached the word of God, rose after death. 154 Chapter 6 Jesus is portrayed in this glass mosaic from the 6fth cen- tury as cthe good shepherd, d tending his 7ock, watching over the faithful. 153-157-0206s3 10/11/02 3:40 PM Page 154 Page 2 of 5 THINK THROUGH HISTORY B. Recognizing Effects How did con- ditions in the Roman Empire contribute to the spread of Christianity? B. Answer Travel was easy and safe because of peace in Empire. Vocabulary scapegoats: groups or individuals that innocently bear the blame for others Ancient Rome and Early Christianity 155 Christianity Spreads Through the Empire Jesus 9 teachings did not contradict Jewish law, and his Frst followers were Jews. Soon, however, these followers began to create a new religion based on his messages. Despite political and religious opposition, the new religion of Christianity spread slowly but steadily throughout the Roman Empire. Paul 9s Mission One man, the apostle Paul, had enormous inGuence on Christianity 9s development. Paul was a Jew whose Hebrew name was Saul. He had never met Jesus and at Frst was an enemy of Christianity. While traveling to Damascus in Syria, he reportedly had a vision of Christ. He then began using his Roman name, Paul, and spent the rest of his life spreading and interpreting Christ 9s teachings. The Pax Romana, which made travel and the exchange of ideas fairly safe, provided the ideal conditions for Christianity to spread. The excellent Roman road system made passage by land easy, and common languages 4Latin and Greek 4allowed the message to be easily understood. Paul was able to travel freely from city to city around the east- ern Mediterranean to preach. He wrote inGuential letters, called Epistles, to groups of believers. In his teaching, Paul stressed that Jesus was the son of God who died for people 9s sins. He also declared that Christianity should welcome all converts, Jew or Gentile (non-Jew). He said: cThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. d It was this universality that enabled Christianity to become more than just a local religion. Jewish Rebellion During the early years of Christianity, much Roman attention was focused on the land of Jesus 9 birth and on the Jews. In A . D .66, a band of Zealots rebelled against Rome. In A . D .70, the Romans stormed Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple com- plex. All that remained was a western portion of the wall, which today is the holiest Jewish shrine. The Jewish fortress near Masada held out until A . D .73. About a half million Jews were killed in the course of this rebellion. The Jews made another attempt to break free of the Romans in A . D .132. Another half- million Jews died in three years of Fghting. Although the Jewish religion survived, the Jewish political state ceased to exist for more than 1,800 years. Most Jews were driven from their homeland into exile. This dispersal of the Jews is called the Diaspora. Persecution of the Christians Christians also posed a problem for Roman rulers because Christians refused to worship Roman gods. This refusal was seen as opposition to Roman rule. Some Roman rulers also used Christians as scapegoats for political and economic troubles. In A . D .64, for example, when the emperor Nero was blamed for a disastrous Fre in Rome, he said Christians were responsible and ordered them to be persecuted. Both the apostles Peter and Paul were put to death in Rome some time after A . D .60. The emperors who followed Nero in the Frst century did not con- tinue the persecutions. Later, however, as the Pax Romana began to crumble, the Romans exiled, imprisoned, or executed Christians for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thousands were cruciFed, burned, or killed by wild animals in the circus arenas. Other Christians and even some non-Christians regarded persecuted Christians as martyrs. Martyrs were people willing to sacriFce their lives for the sake of a belief or a cause. Despite persecution, Christianity became a powerful religious force. By the late third century A . D .,there were millions of Christians in the Roman Empire. Mission- aries spread the faith throughout the empire and beyond. The Jewish Diaspora Centuries of Jewish exile followed the destruction of their Temple and the fall of Jerusalem in A . D .70. This period is called the Diaspora, from the Greek word for cdispersal. d Jews Aed to many parts of the world. Some moved to Babylonia and the Arabian Desert. Others went to Syria, Egypt, and Spain. Eventually, Jews spread into France, England, and the Rhineland, where they lived in small groups. In the 1100s, many European Jews were expelled from their homes. Some moved to Turkey, Palestine, and Syria. Others went to Poland and nearby neighboring areas. The statelessness of the Jews did not end until the creation of Israel in 1948. Global Impact Jerusalem Masada Mediterranean Sea Dead Sea JUDEA GALILEE 153-157-0206s3 10/11/02 3:40 PM Page 155 Page 3 of 5 A World Religion The widespread appeal of Christianity was the result of a variety of reasons. Christianity grew because it: "embraced all people 4men and women; slaves, the poor, and nobles. "gave hope to the powerless. "appealed to those who were repelled by the extravagances of imperial Rome. "offered a personal relationship with a loving God. "promised eternal life after death. Early Christian Church Christians soon began to give their religion a structure, much as the Roman Empire had a hierarchy. At the local level, a priest led each small group of Christians. A bishop, who was also a priest, supervised several local churches. The apostle Peter had traveled to Rome from Jerusalem and became the Frst bishop there. According to tradition, Jesus referred to Peter as the crock d on which the Christian Church would be built. As a result, all priests and bishops traced their authority to him. Eventually, every major city had its own bishop. However, later bishops of Rome claimed to be the heirs of Peter. These bishops said that Peter was the Frst pope, the father or head of the Christian Church. They said that whoever was bishop of Rome was also the leader of the whole Church. Also, as Rome was the capital of the empire, it seemed the logical choice to be the center of the Church. Constantine Accepts Christianity A critical moment in Christianity occurred in A . D . 312, when the Roman emperor Constantine was Fghting three rivals for his title. He had marched to the Tiber River at Rome to battle his chief rival. On the day before the battle at Milvian Bridge, Constantine prayed for divine help. He reported that he then THINK THROUGH HISTORY C. Making Inferences Why were the citizens of the Roman Empire so receptive to a new religion at this time? Vocabulary hierarchy: a group of persons organized in order of ranks, with each level subject to the authority of the one above. C. Answer It embraced all people, gave hope to power- less, appealed to those who were repelled by Roman extravagances, offered personal relationship with God, promised life after death. 156 Chapter 6 0 500 Miles 0 1,000 Kilometers Christian areas around 325 Boundary of Roman Empire, 395 Christian areas around 500 40 ° N 40 ° E 0 ° ATLANTIC OCEAN North Sea Black Sea Aral Sea Red Sea Nile R. M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a C a s p i a n S e a P e r s i a n G u l f D a n u b e R . R h i n e R . Rome Jerusalem Antioch Nicaea Constantinople Corinth Alexandria Hippo SPAIN EGYPT GAUL BRITAIN IRELAND GREECE JUDEA SYRIA ANATOLIA ARMENIA ITALY Spread of Christianity in the Roman World to A.D. 500 GEOGRAPHYSKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps 1. Location Where was Christianity most widespread in A . D . 325? 2. Region What was the extent (north to south, east to west) of Christianity 9s spread by A . D . 500? 153-157-0206s3 10/11/02 3:40 PM Page 156 Page 4 of 5 saw a cross of light in the heavens bearing the inscription, cIn this sign, conquer. d Constantine ordered artisans to put the Christian symbol on his soldier 9s shields. Constantine and his troops were victorious in bat- tle. He gave credit for his success to the help of the Christian God. In the next year, A . D .313, Constantine announced an end to the persecution of Christians. In the Edict of Milan, he declared Chris- tianity to be one of the religions approved by the emperor. The edict granted cboth to the Christians and to all men freedom to follow the religion that they choose. d Christianity continued to gain strength. In 380, the emperor Theodosius made it the empire 9s official religion. Discord and Harmony As Christianity grew, disagreements about beliefs developed among its followers. Church leaders called any belief that appeared to contradict the basic teachings a heresy. Dispute over beliefs became intense. In an attempt to end conGicts, Church leaders sought to set a single, official standard of belief. These beliefs were compiled in the New Testament, which contained the four Gospels, the Epistles of Paul, and other documents. In A . D .325, Constantine decided to end the disputes and the disorder they caused. He called Church leaders to Nicaea in Anatolia. There they wrote the Nicene Creed, which deFned the basic beliefs of the Church. The Fathers of the Church Also inGuential in deFning Church teachings were several early writers and scholars who have been called the Fathers of the Church. One of the most important was Augustine, who became bishop of the city of Hippo in North Africa in 396. Augustine taught that while humans needed the grace of God to be saved, God was merciful and gave his grace freely. One of Augustine 9s most famous books is TheCity of God. It was written after Rome was plundered in the Ffth century. Augustine wrote that the fate of cities such as Rome was not important because the heavenly city, the city of God, could never be destroyed: A VOICE FROM THE PAST The one consists of those who live by human standards, the other of those who live according to God 9s will. . . . By two cities I mean two soci- eties of human beings, one of which is predestined to reign with God for all eternity, the other is doomed to undergo eternal punishment with the Devil. ST. AUGUSTINE, The City of God Christianity increased in both power and wealth despite the empire 9s growing inter- nal and external problems. Ancient Rome and Early Christianity 157 Vocabulary edict: decree or proclamation. Background The New Testament was added to the Hebrew Bible, which Christians called the Old Testament. 2. TAKING NOTES Using a sequence graphic like the one below, show the @ve or six events that led to the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Which event do you think had the biggest impact? Explain. 3. HYPOTHESIZING Do you think Christianity would have developed in the same way if it had arisen in an area outside the Roman Empire? Explain. THINK ABOUT " Jesus 9 growing popularity " the effect of actions Rome took against Jesus and his followers " the depth of belief of Jesus 9 followers " the advantages of being part of a vast empire 4. ANALYZING THEMES Religious and Ethical Systems Who do you think did more to spread Christianity 4Paul or Constantine? THINK ABOUT " Paul 9s travels " the opening of Christianity to the Gentiles " Constantine 9s power as an emperor 1. TERMS & NAMES Identify " Jesus " apostle " Peter " Paul " Diaspora " bishop " pope " Constantine " heresy Section Assessment 3 Constantine A . D . 285? 3337 Constantine was a deeply religious man. He initially believed in the traditional Roman gods. He identi@ed with the god Apollo, whom he claimed to have seen in a vision. Sometime after his conversion to Christianity in A . D .312, Constantine reportedly remarked that cGod is the cause of the exploits I have performed. d He maintained that he received revelations and instructions from God. Although he legalized Christianity throughout the empire and took a leading role in the affairs of the Christian Church, Constantine was not formally baptized until he was on his deathbed in 337. HISTORY MAKERS Rome takes over Jewish kingdom. D. Possible Answer He wanted to comfort the Romans by letting them know that earthly cities may come and go but there was an eternal city that would never be destroyed. THINK THROUGH HISTORY D. Analyzing Motives What do you think was St. Augustine 9s motive for writing The City of God right after Rome had been attacked? 153-157-0206s3 10/11/02 3:40 PM Page 157 Page 5 of 5

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