Expert: Brenda Martin - 3/25/2004

Question
What empire ruled Israel during the New Testament period? Which 2 Jewish sects most especially conspired to get rid of Jesus? Which Jewish sect disappeared with the destruction of the temple? Name 3 religious systems that christianity face in the Roman Empire.

Answer
WHAT EMPIRE RULED ISRAEL DURING THE NEW TESTAMENT PERIOD?

ROME.

Augustus was emperor when Jesus was born, and he ruled until the year 14 C.E.—Luke 2:1.

Tiberius, Augustus' successor, ruled from 14 to 37 C.E. In the 15th year of Tiberius' reign, John the Baptizer began to preach. It was also during his reign that Jesus was baptized, performed his three-and-a-half-year earthly ministry, and offered his life as a sacrifice. He was still reigning when Jesus' followers began to spread Christianity throughout the then known world.—Luke 3:1-3, 23.

Gaius, nicknamed Caligula, ruled from 37 to 41 C.E. Claudius (41-54 C.E.) succeeded him and expelled the Jews from Rome, as is stated at Acts 18:1, 2. He was later poisoned by his wife, and her young son Nero came to the throne.

A great fire swept through Rome in July 64 C.E., destroying about a quarter of the city. The historian Tacitus says that to take suspicion off himself, Nero blamed the fire on the Christians, who were then “torn by dogs and perished” and “doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle.” During this persecution, Paul, who had preached from Jerusalem to Rome and perhaps even to Spain, was imprisoned for a second time. He was likely killed by Nero about 66 C.E.

Other Roman emperors that interest us include Vespasian (69-79 C.E.) under whose reign Titus destroyed Jerusalem, Titus himself (79-81 C.E.), and Titus' brother Domitian (81-96 C.E.), who revived the official persecution of Christians.

According to tradition, it was during this persecution that the aged apostle John was exiled to the penal isle of Patmos. There he was given the thrilling vision of the conclusion of these wicked human systems of things and their replacement by God's righteous heavenly Kingdom, which John recorded in the Bible book of Revelation. (Revelation 1:9) John was apparently released during the reign of the next emperor, Nerva, 96-98 C.E., and his Gospel and three letters were completed after Trajan (98-117 C.E.) began to rule.

The Decline of the Roman Empire was In the fourth century.

WHICH 2 JEWISH SECTS MOST ESPECIALLY CONSPIRED TO GET RID OF JESUS?

These were the Sadducees and the Pharisees.—

Although religiously divided, Sadducees joined Pharisees in trying to tempt Jesus by asking him for a sign (Mt 16:1), and both groups were united in their opposition to him. Biblical evidence indicates that the Sadducees took a leading part in seeking Jesus' death. Sadducees were members of the Sanhedrin, which court plotted against Jesus and, later, condemned him to death. Included in the court were Caiaphas, the Sadducee and high priest, and evidently also other prominent priests. (Mt 26:59-66; Joh 11:47-53; Ac 5:17, 21)

Therefore, whenever the Christian Greek Scriptures speak of certain action as being taken by the chief priests, Sadducees were evidently involved. (Mt 21:45, 46; 26:3, 4, 62-64; 28:11, 12; John 7:32) Sadducees appear to have taken the lead in trying to stop the spread of Christianity after Jesus' death and resurrection.—Ac 4:1-23; 5:17-42; 9:14.

WHICH JEWISH SECT DISAPPEARED WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE?

Sorry cant find out from my research.

NAME 3 RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS THAT CHRISTIANITY FACED IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

The Sadducess, Pharisees, and Scribes.
28 years after Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. In the earlier part of that period severe persecution had been brought upon these Jewish Christians in Jerusalem and Judea by the Jewish religious leaders, resulting in the death of some Christians and the scattering of most of the others from Jerusalem. (Ac 8:1)

Then you had the Romans themselves—"it was difficult to live in the Roman world without betraying the Christian faith. French Catholic author A. Hamman writes: “It was impossible to take a step without encountering a divinity. The Christian's position brought him daily problems; he lived on the edge of society . . . He faced recurring problems in the home, in the streets, at the market . . . In the street, whether a Roman citizen or not, a Christian should bare his head when passing a temple or a statue. How could he refrain from doing so without arousing suspicion, yet how could he comply without committing an act of allegiance? If he was in business and needed to borrow money, he had to swear to the money-lender in the name of the gods. . . . If he accepted public office, he was expected to offer a sacrifice. If enlisted, how could he avoid taking the oath and participating in the rites of military service?”—La vie quotidienne des premiers chrétiens (95-197) (Daily Life Among the Early Christians, 95-197 C.E.).

About 60 or 61 C.E., when Paul was in Rome awaiting trial by Emperor Nero, leading Jews said concerning the early Christians: “Truly as regards this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” (Acts 28:22)

Since they refused to worship the emperor and pagan divinities, they were accused of atheism. If a catastrophe occurred, they were blamed for having angered the gods. Because they did not attend immoral plays or bloody gladiatorial shows, they were considered antisocial, even ‘haters of the human race.' Their enemies claimed that homes were broken up by the Christian “sect” and that it was therefore a danger to social stability. Tertullian spoke of pagan husbands who preferred that their wives commit adultery than that they become Christians.

Christians were criticized because they were against abortion, widely practiced at the time. Yet, their enemies accused them of killing children. It was alleged that at their meetings they drank the blood of sacrificed children. At the same time, their enemies tried to force them to eat blood sausage, knowing that this was against their conscience. Thus these opposers gave the lie to their own accusation.—Tertullian, Apology, chapter 9.

Christ's disciples soon found themselves “objects of hatred” from three sources. First were the Jewish religious leaders.

Second, Christians incurred the hatred of pagan worshipers.

Third, Christians became “objects of hatred” by the nationalistic Romans.

I hope this answers your questions, if not, please ask again and I will research a little more.

Thanks Brenda