List at least one Roman achievement:
Religion in Rome was polytheistic and based upon the Greek gods
Emperors were mostly tolerant of other religions, but expected everyone who lived in the empire to respect the Roman gods as a sign of loyalty
Religion in the Roman Empire:
In 63 B.C., the Romans conquered the Hebrew kingdom of Judea and allowed "Romanized Jews" ( who showed respect and obeyed Roman laws) to govern Judea
But, the Hebrews were monotheistic and many refused to pay respect to the Roman gods
Many Hebrews began to resist Roman rule and believed that God would send the Messiah to restore the kingdom to the Jews
The birth of Jesus and the beginning of Christianity
Sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. in Judea, a Jew named Jesus was born; many considered Jesus to be the Messiah
At the age of 30, Jesus began preaching a unique version of Judaism that became known as Christianity
The teaching of Jesus
Jesus did good works, performed miracles, and delivered his religious teachings
- Jesus preached a religion based on the Jewish belief in one god (monotheism)
- Jesus taught that he was God's son and that God would rid the world of evil
- He taught of God's mercy, love, and forgiveness towards others, and eternal life in heaven for those who repent for their sins
- he based much of his good works on the Ten Commandments
Many Hebrews in Judea did not accept the idea that Jesus was a Messiah & accused him of blasphemy (contempt for God)
Roman leaders feared Jesus’ growing popularity
In 29 A.D., Jesus was arrested for defying Roman authority & was crucified
After Jesus’ death, Paul helped spread Jesus teachings throughout the Roman Empire
Christianity spread quickly due to roads, numerous trade routes, & common language throughout the Roman Empire