The Tumultuous 60s Lecture

Emperor Nero

Emperor Nero

________- not well liked and blamed for the fire in Rome.

Vespasian

________- led four legions to retake Jerusalem and went back to Rome to lead.

Zealots

________- Jews at the ready, at all times, to fight their enemies.

Masada

________- tall plateau where Jews fled and could defend themselves against the Romans.

Matter

________= evil- the Earth, trees, your flesh is evil because it is physical.

Riot

________ in Caesarea- The Greeks celebrated a trial win against Jews too raucously and Roman guards let them attack Jews.

Pella

________- Where Christians hid during the Jewish War.

Mass Suicide

________- The patriarch of every family killed their own family and then drew straws on who would kill the others and then themselves.

Cosmology

________- God created "eons- "spirit beings, the dome holds the world, our bodies were a prison to our souls.

Gnosticism

________- Very diverse belief structures (some avoided all pleasure, some fully embraced pleasure)

Ephesus

________- Asia minor, mentioned in New Testament and Timothy may have been a bishop (Greek Orthodox)

Docetism

________- the body of Jesus was an illusion.

Itinerant Evangelists

________- Paul, Apollos, Peter, John, Cephas, Epaphroditus, etc.

Septuagint

________- Bible of the first century; Greek translation of the Hebrew Tanakh; contained the Apocrypha.

Spirit

________= good- God is 100 % ________, therefore good.

Letters of Paul

________- seen as special and later seen on equal level to the Septuagint.

Characteristics of Ebionites

________- Reject Paul and his teachings, Law is dear to them and still observed, Jesus is the Messiah and not God, monotheism, venerate James and Peter, accept only Matthews Gospel, rejected the virgin birth.

Neronian Persecution

________ was Violent- Christians were thrown to the lions because they were Christians, Nero would impale Christians on poles and leave them lining the path to his house, Nero would throw dinner parties and use Christians as human torches when it got dark, Christians would be chained in a field and wild dogs would be released on them as entertainment.

Jews

Oppressed by ________ and Romans- ________ do not see them as ________, Romans do not distinguish between Christians and ________.

Oral Traditions

________- aka Tradition of the Apostles.

Ebionites

________- aka Judaizers, Elkesaites, Nazoreans.

Neronian Persecution

________ was Limited to Rome- not a widespread persecution.

Up until the 60s all of the New Testament information was about the Exalted Jesus, written by

Paul

Great fire in Rome

64 CE

Emperor Nero

not well liked and blamed for the fire in Rome

Fact

Nero was vacationing in Italy and then went back to Rome to organize after the fire

Rumor

Nero had soldiers set fire to Rome behind him while playing the violin for drama

Rumor

Nero had set fire to Rome while performing a play about the fall of Try

Rumor

Nero set fire to the portion of Rome because he wanted to redo it and wouldnt get money to do so

Counter rumor

the Christians set fire to Rome (Nero did this because a portion of Rome that did not burn was lived in by many Christians)

Christians

marginalized group after Claudius reign and an easy target

Problem

Nero wanted to serve "justice" to the Christians

Neronian Persecution was Limited to Rome

not a widespread persecution

Neronian Persecution was Violent

Christians were thrown to the lions because they were Christians, Nero would impale Christians on poles and leave them lining the path to his house, Nero would throw dinner parties and use Christians as human torches when it got dark, Christians would be chained in a field and wild dogs would be released on them as entertainment

Riot in Caesarea

The Greeks celebrated a trial win against Jews too raucously and Roman guards let them attack Jews

Jerusalem Taken

Word gets to Jerusalem and Zealots begin attacking Romans; The High Priest comes to power and talk of the Messiah coming again to restore Israel happens more often

The Christians did not participate with the Jews in the riot

they were hid in Pella

Zealots

Jews at the ready, at all times, to fight their enemies

Vespasians Revenge

Retook Jerusalem

Vespasian

led four legions to retake Jerusalem and went back to Rome to lead

Titus

Vespasians son, took over role of conquering

Jerusalem Destroyed

70 CE

Faith was Challenged

The temple was destroyed, pillars of Christian faith dead, Jews are exiled in the world

Wailing Wall

The only things Romans left of the temple

Masada

tall plateau where Jews fled and could defend themselves against the Romans

Titus' 3 year siege

Engineers built an dirt ramp so soldiers could march up and kidnap the Jews

Mass Suicide

The patriarch of every family killed their own family and then drew straws on who would kill the others and then themselves

Pella

Where Christians hid during the Jewish War

Oppressed by Jews and Romans

Jews do not see them as Jews, Romans do not distinguish between Christians and Jews

Hellenist Christians Grow

Grow large enough in Jerusalem to take over the church

Hebrew Christians Migrate

Most to Sinai Peninsula and some to Northern Africa (remaining Hebrew Christians join others when Hellenists takeover the church)

Ebionites

aka Judaizers, Elkesaites, Nazoreans

Ebionites diversity

Some more conservative than others

Characteristics of Ebionites

Reject Paul and his teachings, Law is dear to them and still observed, Jesus is the Messiah and not God, monotheism, venerate James and Peter, accept only Matthews Gospel, rejected the virgin birth

Gnosis

"knowledge"

Matter = evil

the Earth, trees, your flesh is evil because it is physical

Spirit = good

God is 100% spirit, therefore good

Docetism

the body of Jesus was an illusion

Gnosticism

Very diverse belief structures (some avoided all pleasure, some fully embraced pleasure)

Four Leader Churches

Alexandria, Antioch, Ephesus, Rome

Alexandria

Egypt, first Christian seminary (Catholic Church)

Antioch

Next to Jerusalem, launch point for Paul (Church of the East)

Ephesus

Asia minor, mentioned in New Testament and Timothy may have been a bishop (Greek Orthodox)

Rome

Italy, Peter and Paul martyred there (Latin Church/Roman Catholic Church)

Septuagint

Bible of the first century; Greek translation of the Hebrew Tanakh; contained the Apocrypha

Letters of Paul

seen as special and later seen on equal level to the Septuagint

Itinerant Evangelists

Paul, Apollos, Peter, John, Cephas, Epaphroditus, etc

Oral Traditions

aka Tradition of the Apostles