1. Christianity: Setting the Stage
In 63 B.C., Pompey the Great (member of Rome’s first triumvirate with Julius Caesar and Crassus) conquered Jerusalem
A region known as Judea (most of modern day Israel in the middle east) was part of this territory and was now under Roman control
Rome generally allowed conquered people to worship their own Gods, but they also had to adopt the Roman Gods
Many Hebrews refused to worship Roman Gods and assimilate into the Roman ways as it was forbidden by Jewish law
Rome allowed a practicing Jew named Herod the Great to rule Judea to improve the situation
However, many Jews disliked Herod, believing him to be a harsh ruler

2. The Gospels and the birth of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth was born around the year 0
It is debated when he was actually born with some saying it was a little before the year 0 and some saying a little after
The story of Jesus as it is believed by Christians is outlined in the four gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John)
Christians believe Jesus was born to a virgin mother Mary
The “Christ” added to the end of his name means “savior” or “messiah”

3. The Life of Jesus
Most of what is known about Jesus’s life comes from the gospels
Gospels written 20 – 60 years after the death of Jesus
Most historians and scholars believe Jesus was a real person, but they debate how much of the gospels are actually true
Most of what is written about Jesus starts when he is 30
Little information in the gospels about him before this age

4. The Life of Jesus (continued)
According to the Bible, this is roughly how his life went:
Baptized at age 30 by John the Baptist
He then goes into the desert by himself to fast and pray for 40 days
Afterwards, he began traveling around, teaching his messages and performing miracles like healing the sick, blind, etc.
He had 12 main followers or disciples but many more followed him and identified with his message
His presence became a threat in the eyes of some Jewish leaders and the Romans
He was betrayed by one of his followers (Judas) and was executed by the Romans via crucifixtion
He was buried in a cave
Three days after his death, he was resurrected, taught a few final messages to his followers, then went to Heaven

5. The Teachings of Jesus
According to the gospels, Jesus taught people about love, forgiveness, and the consequences of not having a relationship with God
He also taught radical messages about the power of the weak
He claimed the meek would inherit the earth and that it was difficult for the rich to get into heaven
He often taught through parables, or metaphorical stories to help people understand an idea

6. Constructing the Bible
Teachings of Jesus initially spread through word of mouth
About 20 years after Jesus died, people began to write down his ideas in the gospels
Some gospels were included in the Bible some were not
Four of the gospels and other related writings from the first and 2nd centuries were compiled in the New Testament of the Bible
The Torah and other books from the Hebrew Bible were compiled and make up the Old Testament
Together, the old and new testaments make up the Christian Bible

7. Spreading Christianity
One of Jesus’s teachings was to spread his ideas
His followers traveled around telling people about his message
Many of his followers were persecuted by the Romans and others for doing so as many Christian ideas did not fit with many cultural customs of the time
Missionaries were people who traveled around teaching people about a faith, in this case, Christianity, and attempting to convert them to it. Missionaries were an important part of spreading Christianity.
Peter, one of Jesus’s 12 disciples established Christianity in Rome
Paul, a Jewish man, helped spread Christianity throughout the Mediterranean after believing Jesus appeared to him in a vision
Paul established Churches, preached the word of Jesus, wrote letters (think 1st and 2nd Corinthians), etc.

8. Early Christianity
Early in Christianity’s history, Christians were persecuted by the Romans
Christians refused to worship Roman Gods and to recognize the emperor as a God
Romans saw it is inciting rebellion and reducing the power of the Roman government
Despite this persecution, by 4th century (300’s) about 10 percent of the population in the Roman Empire were Christians

9. Christianity’s Appeal
Inherent in Christianity’s message was the elevation of the poor and downtrodden in society
Promise of God’s love
Promise of eternal bliss in the afterlife
Supportive community that provided services like feeding the poor

10. Emperor Constantine
Before a battle, Roman emperor Constantine had visions of Jesus Christ
After winning the battle, which he attributed to the help of Jesus, Constantine converted to Christianity
He issued the Edict of Milan, ending the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire
He also ordered the construction of Churches which helped spread Christianity
The support that Constantine gave to Christianity helped to make it the official religion of the empire by the end of the 4th century
By the time the Western Roman Empire fell in the 5th century, Christianity had already spread beyond the boundaries of the empire and would continue to grow after the empire fell

11. Monks
Some people chose to leave the distractions and temptations of society to practice Christianity in solitude
Many of these people became monks
Monks devoted their lives to practicing Christianity
Often they would form communities of monks living simple lives called monasteries
Monks would often try to live a life of moderation and follow a routine of work, prayer, and study

12. The split between Eastern and Western traditions
Over time, Christians in the East and West began to develop certain differences in their faiths
Eastern Christians had their own religious leader, the patriarch, separate from the Pope in the West
Easterners and Westerners believed in different dates for Easter
In the 700’s, a Byzantine emperor (Eastern Roman Emperor) was excommunicated by the Pope over a dispute regarding the use of icons in worship
1054 East-West schism – The pope and the patriarch excommunicate each other
Now there was the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East
Christianity remains the largest religion in the world with 2.2 billion followers worldwide