During the 1st century CE, a sect of Jews in Jerusalem claimed that their teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, was the 'messiah' of Israel. 'Messiah' meant 'anointed one', or someone chosen by the God of Israel to lead when God would intervene in human history to bring justice to the world. Jesus was crucified by a Roman magistrate, Pontius Pilate, c. 30 CE for proclaiming a kingdom that was not Rome's. Shortly after his death, his followers claimed that he was resurrected from the dead and was now in heaven at the right hand of God. Those who followed the teachings of Jesus ('Christ', the Greek for 'messiah') would also earn resurrection in the afterlife.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1671/romes-response-to-the-spread-of-christianity/.
Join the Conversation
- Why do you think many Romans saw Christians as a threat?
- How do you think martyr stories helped Christianity grow?
- Do you think Constantine made Christianity legal for faith or for power?
Is there anything you'd like to ask me about this article? Ask away — and if you spot something that should be covered, that's useful to know too.