1. Roman Religions

2. Polytheistic Rome
Romans also worshipped their ancestors and household gods
Roman religion was connected to the status of their gov’t/empire

3. The Lararium

4. Polytheistic Rome
Roman stance on other religions- we are cool with you as long as
1. you don’t sacrifice people
2. you throw a little honor to our gods
The imperial cult
Upon his death the emperor was deified
This causes a lot of issues for monotheist in the future

5. Jewish Roots *
Remember that the Jewish people had spent time in Babylon being influenced by Zoroastrian ideas (good versus evil etc.)
From BCE Palestine is under the control of the Seleucid rule Antiochus IV who tried to eradicate the Jewish religion

6. Jewish Roots*
Judas Maccabeus leads a revolt in 164 BCE and kicks out the Seleucids (this is also the occasion for the festival of Hanukkah)
A Jewish kingdom lasts from 142 till 63 BCE
Pompey’s legions occupy Palestine in 63 BCE and during the period of 37-4 BCE Herod the Great takes over Jerusalem and rebuilds it

7. Jewish Roots*
Groups in operation in Palestine during the time Christianity is born
Sadducees- Jewish upper class who helped the Romans
Pharisees- Jewish upper class that lived their lives by the letter of their law
Essenes- monastic group of Jews that lived in the desert (expected two Messiahs, baptism initiation, sharing bread and wine)

8. Jewish Roots*
Zealots- passionate advocates for Jewish freedom who openly opposed Rome and held apocalyptic views about their struggle (it was the end of the world, good versus evil sort of thing)

10. The Christ
During the this time period the founder of Christianity is born circa 6-4 BCE
Jesus of Nazareth is baptized by John the Baptist circa 28 CE and starts his religious teaching
Jesus is crucified circa 30 CE and is said to have risen from the dead 3 days later

11. Tenets Christianity (early)
Open to all (including the poor, the outsiders, and women)
Monotheistic
Jesus was son of God and God incarnate
Various letters and gospels will be the sacred texts until the formation of the canonical New Testament
Life after death
367 CE Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, provides the first list of what we know as the New Testament
Doctrine determined through church councils

12. Spread of Christianity
During the Pax Romana (27 BCE-180 CE) travel within the empire was easy and safe
During the Jewish revolt of CE the Romans kick all the Jews out of Jerusalem (they lumped the Christians with them)
This along with the idea of rewards for suffering and the examples of martyrs fueled the spread

13. Christianity in the Empire
Rome will variously ignore, tolerate, persecute, and finally embrace Christianity
64 CE the Christians are blamed by Emperor Nero for the massive fire in Rome (no one really believed it, but the bias was still there)
312 CE Constantine “converts” to Christianity after the Battle of Milvian Bridge
313 CE Edict of Milan legalizes religion in the empire