JUDAISM IN ANCIENT ROME: HOW ROMANS TOLERATED MONOTHEISM |
Rome allowed conquered peoples to practice their religions within the empire. This included Judaism, the great religious tradition followed by Jewish people.
The Hebrews, or Jews, had come to believe long before the Roman Empire existed that they had a covenant, or binding agreement, with God. They had accepted God as the ruler of Heaven and Earth. In return, they believed, God had made the Jews the chosen people on Earth.
Jews once had been wandering shepherds from Palestine, an area at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. In about 1025 B.C. they formed the kingdom of Israel in Palestine. The kingdom flourished for many years under two great rulers, David and Solomon. After Solomon’s death, Israel was defeated. The Jews had to leave their homeland for many years. They were eventually allowed to return to Israel. It was then that they came under Roman authority.Roman authorities and Jewish leaders generally lived in peace. But in A.D. 70, Rome crushed a Jewish revolt. Jews were again forced to leave Israel. The scattering of Jews throughout the world is called the Diaspora.
Throughout all their troubles, the Jews remained faithful to their religious beliefs. Judaism differed from other early religions. The Jews were monotheistic—that is, they believed in one God. From Moses the Jews had received God’s Ten Commandments. These guided their lives. The Commandments are religious and moral laws. They forbid stealing, lying, cheating, and murder. They also urge people to treat one another with justice, love, and respect. Jews carried these beliefs with them after they left their homeland. Later, these teachings became part of a new faith, Christianity. This faith spread beyond Palestine throughout the Roman Empire . Rise and Spread of Christianity Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was born in Palestine while it was under Roman rule. According to Christian sources called the Gospels, Jesus as a young man studied with Jewish scholars and teachers.
When he was about thirty, Jesus began to preach. His message was rooted in the Jewish faith in one God, the God of the Hebrews.He also upheld the Ten Commandments as God’s law. Jesus taught about God’s goodness and mercy. He spoke of a forgiving God. God was the loving father of all people, rich and
poor, Jew and non-Jew. Jesus urged repentance, which means to ask for forgiveness of sins. He told the Jews, according to the Gospels, that “no one
can come to the Father, except through me.” Jesus attracted many followers. As Jesus’ following grew, Roman officials worried that he might provoke an uprising. In A.D. 33 Jesus was arrested and sentenced to die by crucifixion, a Roman method of execution. Jesus’ followers believed that he was the Son of God and that he rose from the dead, or resurrected, three days after his crucifixion. Paul, an early convert, traveled in the Roman Empire, spreading Jesus’ message. Those who followed Jesus’ teachings became known as Christians, or followers of Christ. That name came from the Greek word Christos, or messiah. Rome became increasingly suspicious.Christians refused to show respect for Roman gods. As a result, thousands of Christians suffered persecution and death.
Then Rome suddenly supported Christianity’s growth. In A.D. 312, on the eve of battle, the Roman Emperor Constantine dreamed of a cross. In his dream,Constantine understood that if he took the cross as his symbol, he would win the battle. After his victory, Constantine converted to Christianity and allowed Christians freedom of worship. In the late 300s,Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Under Roman rule, Christianity spread throughout theMediterranean and northward into Europe. Other religious practices in Rome continued during the Christian era. These religions focused on gods, goddesses, and animal and natural spirits. These religions had special holidays and feast days. Christian leaders placed their holidays and feast
days on the same days. Eventually, people stopped practicing the older religions. Christianity developed over many years and grew stronger through a well-organized system of authority. The highest Christian officials were bishops. Eventually, the bishop of Rome became the head of the Church. He took the name of pope, or father of the Church. It was this Church that carried the Christian faith into Europe.
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