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animism
belief in the existence of spirits that can possess people, animals, and other entities (trees, brooks, rocks, etc.).
aqueduct
an artificial conduit for conveying water from a distance, usually by means of gravity.
ascetic
religiously strict or severe, especially with regard to self-denial or renunciation of worldly pleasures.
augury
a field of science or sorcery devoted to discerning the future, specifically through observation of birds; the term is also used more generally to refer to divination by other means (oracles, mediums, observation of stars, etc.).
BCE
an abbreviation meaning "before the common era"; in academic studies BCE is typically used for dates in place of BC ("before Christ").
benefactor
in a patron-client relationship, the powerful party who provides benefits for others and to whom service, loyalty, and gratitude are due.
casting lots
a practice akin to "drawing straws," used to select a person for a given task; "lots" were marked stones similar to dice (see Acts 1:26).
CE
an abbreviation meaning "common era"; in academic studies CE is typically used for dates in place of AD (Anno domini, "in the year of our Lord").
client
in a patron-client relationship, the person lacking power, who is expected to respond to the benefactor with gratitude, loyalty, and service.
Cynicism
a philosophical orientation that emphasized radical authenticity, repudiation of shame, simplicity of lifestyle, and a desire to possess only what is obtained naturally and freely.
Dead Sea Scrolls
a collection of Jewish documents copied and preserved between 250 BCE and 70 CE.
Demiurge
in gnosticism, an evil or at least inferior deity responsible for creating the world of matter.
diatribe
a rhetorical device derived from Greek philosophy in which an author argues with an imaginary opponent by proposing objections and then responding to them.
divination
any practice used to discern the will of divine beings and/or to predict the future.
dualism
the tendency to separate phenomena into sharply opposed categories, with little room for anything in between (e.g., to regard everything as either "good" or "evil").
Epicureanism
a philosophical orientation that emphasized free will, questioned fate, and encouraged the attainment of true pleasure through avoidance of anxiety, concentration on the present, and enjoyment of all things in moderation.
Essenes
ascetic, separatist Jews who lived in private communities; they probably are to be identified with the group that lived at Qumran and preserved a library of manuscripts now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
fertility
the ability to produce offspring; used of humans able to conceive children, or of fields able to produce crops.
gnosticism
a religious movement or perspective that regarded "spirit" as fundamentally good and "matter" as fundamentally evil.
Greco-Roman world
the lands and culture around the Mediterranean Sea during the period from Alexander the Great through Constantine (roughly 300 BCE to 300 CE).
honor
the positive status that one has in the eyes of those whom one considers to be significant.
limited good
in economics, the belief that money and things that money can buy are finite, such that acquisition of wealth or resources by some necessitates depletion of wealth or resources for others.
magi
astrologers or sorcerers associated with Persian religion.
mystery religions
popular religious cults that flourished during the Hellenistic era and tended to keep their doctrines and practices secret from outsiders.
oracle
a person, usually female, capable of receiving messages from the gods in response to particular queries, including questions about the future; the term is also used for the place where such messages are given, and for the message itself.
pagan
Greco-Roman religion and culture as viewed from the perspective of Jews and Christians, who tended to associate what was "pagan" with erratic religious beliefs and an immoral lifestyle.
pagans
nonconverted gentiles, often associated by Jews and Christians with idolatry, polytheism, erratic religious beliefs, and an immoral lifestyle.
patron
the benefactor in a patron-client relationship; the powerful party who provides benefits for others.
patron-client relationship
a social system according to which people with power serve as benefactors to those lacking power, who are expected to respond with gratitude, service, and loyalty.
Pax Romana
Latin phrase meaning "Roman peace"; a three-hundred-year period (including the New Testament era) during which the Roman Empire exercised such dominance within its geographical area that warfare with other nations was limited.
phylactery
a small case containing texts of Scripture worn on the forehead or left arm by pious Jews in obedience to Exodus 13:9, 16; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18.
Platonism
a philosophical orientation that emphasized the reality of a transcendent world of "ideals" standing behind everything physical or earthly.
polytheism
the belief that there are multiple gods. Compare "monotheism."
prefect
in the Roman Empire, a magistrate or high official whose duties and level of authority varied in different contexts.
procurator
a governor appointed by the Roman emperor to administer a province for an indefinite period of time.
Pythagoreanism
a philosophical orientation that emphasized the value of intelligent reasoning, memory, and radical honesty, all in service of a quest to attain harmony of ideas and of body and soul.
sacrament
a ritual action (such as baptism or Holy Communion) through which God is believed to deliver divine benefits.
shame
negative status, implying disgrace and unworthiness.
Stoicism
a philosophical orientation that emphasized the attainment of virtue through acceptance of fate, based on the notion that all things are predetermined and that there is logic to all that transpires.
subsistence level
a standard of living that enables one to survive, albeit with no surplus and with little margin.
tetrarch
a ruler of a quarter of a province or region.
theios anēr
"divine man"; a person believed to have an especially close link to the spiritual realm and, typically, one to whom miracles are attributed.
Zealots
radical anti-Roman Jews who advocated armed rebellion against the Roman forces.
