Ben Wilson

So it's a little funny, but obviously it's just a little way in which the Romans are showing, yeah, like we can do what we want. We're superior to you. We're in charge here. You're subservient to us. And so that is the kind of stuff that upset the Jews and made them yearn for a time when they would be free of Roman rule. I think there's also just a feeling of complete disruption.

You're used to a certain way of life, and then the Romans completely upset it, bringing a lot of things, bringing wealth and trade and new goods and new people, but also like a complete disruption to your historical way of life. Paul Johnson has a good summary. The world into which Jesus was born was harsh, cruel, violent, and unstable. It was also materialistic and increasingly wealthy.

You're used to a certain way of life, and then the Romans completely upset it, bringing a lot of things, bringing wealth and trade and new goods and new people, but also like a complete disruption to your historical way of life. Paul Johnson has a good summary. The world into which Jesus was born was harsh, cruel, violent, and unstable. It was also materialistic and increasingly wealthy.

The great fact of geopolitics was Rome and its possessions in the process of transforming itself from a republic into an empire. It now occupied the shores of the entire Mediterranean, from which one of its great men, Pompey, had driven all the pirates which once infested it, using ruthless methods of brutality, torture, and large-scale public executions.

The great fact of geopolitics was Rome and its possessions in the process of transforming itself from a republic into an empire. It now occupied the shores of the entire Mediterranean, from which one of its great men, Pompey, had driven all the pirates which once infested it, using ruthless methods of brutality, torture, and large-scale public executions.

As a result, trade was expanding fast, and many cities and individuals doubled their riches in the generation before Jesus was born. Okay, so yes, like, they're bringing tons of wealth. A lot of people doubled their wealth in the generation before Jesus was born. But in so doing, they're disrupting traditional ways of life in Judea, and they're threatening the religious authorities' hold on power.

As a result, trade was expanding fast, and many cities and individuals doubled their riches in the generation before Jesus was born. Okay, so yes, like, they're bringing tons of wealth. A lot of people doubled their wealth in the generation before Jesus was born. But in so doing, they're disrupting traditional ways of life in Judea, and they're threatening the religious authorities' hold on power.

Listen to Paul Johnson's description of Herod the Great, the client king who was ruling Judea under the Romans. Paul Johnson says, In what we now call Palestine, a similar calm prevailed at the time of Jesus' birth, under the plutocratic tyranny of Herod the Great.

Listen to Paul Johnson's description of Herod the Great, the client king who was ruling Judea under the Romans. Paul Johnson says, In what we now call Palestine, a similar calm prevailed at the time of Jesus' birth, under the plutocratic tyranny of Herod the Great.

For more than 30 years, this astute financier, who had made himself the richest individual in the entire empire, had by his subservience to the rulers of Rome, and by princely gifts, made himself master of the ancient kingdom of the Jews. He was the greatest builder of his age, creating a new port at Caesarea in Samaria,

For more than 30 years, this astute financier, who had made himself the richest individual in the entire empire, had by his subservience to the rulers of Rome, and by princely gifts, made himself master of the ancient kingdom of the Jews. He was the greatest builder of his age, creating a new port at Caesarea in Samaria,

rebuilding and enlarging the temple in Jerusalem, and building public baths, aqueducts, and what we would call shopping centers in half a dozen cities, as well as a ring of powerful fortresses, he was a benefactor of the Jews on a colossal scale. But he was not popular among them.

rebuilding and enlarging the temple in Jerusalem, and building public baths, aqueducts, and what we would call shopping centers in half a dozen cities, as well as a ring of powerful fortresses, he was a benefactor of the Jews on a colossal scale. But he was not popular among them.

Only half Jewish by birth and wholly Greek in his cultural tastes, he was regarded as heretical by the Jewish religious authorities for sponsoring Greek-style games, theaters, and music. He also had numerous wives and concubines, some of them Gentiles, and sired many children.

Only half Jewish by birth and wholly Greek in his cultural tastes, he was regarded as heretical by the Jewish religious authorities for sponsoring Greek-style games, theaters, and music. He also had numerous wives and concubines, some of them Gentiles, and sired many children.

Suspicious and cruel, he slaughtered over 40 of his wives, children, and close relatives, often in circumstances of peculiar atrocity, for conspiracies, real or imaginary, against his rule in person. As his reign drew to a close, the last year of his life was the year of Jesus' birth, his suspicions increased, and an atmosphere of paranoia prevailed at his court.

Suspicious and cruel, he slaughtered over 40 of his wives, children, and close relatives, often in circumstances of peculiar atrocity, for conspiracies, real or imaginary, against his rule in person. As his reign drew to a close, the last year of his life was the year of Jesus' birth, his suspicions increased, and an atmosphere of paranoia prevailed at his court.

Okay, so again, the Romans, Herod, yes, they're creating this very prosperous, culturally rich, entertaining world, but it's threatening to religious authorities. It's threatening to traditional ways of life. N.T. Wright says that the Hellenistic setting formed a perpetual cultural and religious threat to the Jews, every bit as powerful as any political danger.

Okay, so again, the Romans, Herod, yes, they're creating this very prosperous, culturally rich, entertaining world, but it's threatening to religious authorities. It's threatening to traditional ways of life. N.T. Wright says that the Hellenistic setting formed a perpetual cultural and religious threat to the Jews, every bit as powerful as any political danger.

Okay, so I think you can make a pretty good comparison between then and now. I think Judaism at the turn of the millennium was in a similar place that Christianity is in right now. It's sort of obviously in decline and in need of reform. But the question is, what direction will that reform take? There are the rainbow flag denominations trying to make Christianity now more liberal.