Historical background of the New Testament

Sanders has observed, of all the religions that existed within the Roman Empire , only two have widespread followings today: Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity , both of which have their origins in Roman-occupied Palestine, both of which claim to be based on the Hebrew Bible / New Testament , and the historical experience of the Jewish people . The story of the cultural and historical background of Jesus is the story of a tempestuous time when these two religions first emerged and diverged. According to the Gospels , Jesus , also identified in the Gospels as Christ , lived in Judea and the Galilee (modern day Israel , Palestine , and Jordan ) around the first half of the first century. While large numbers of Christians of all denominations take the Gospels to be a reliable and (largely or wholly) accurate account of Jesus' life, there are people who question whether Jesus even existed (see Historicity of Jesus for an account of this debate). Some people (including critical Bible scholars and historians), however, accept that Jesus lived, but reject the Gospels as a literal account of his life. They rely on the Gospels as historical sources, but reject supernatural elements including miracles; and argue that the Gospels were written from the point of view of, and in order to support, an orthodox Christianity that was emerging between the second and fourth centuries. Moreover, they claim that an account of Jesus' life must make sense in terms of his historical and cultural context, rather than Christian orthodoxy. The study of this context foregrounds Jewish culture, and tensions, trends, and changes in Jewish culture under the influence of Hellenism and Roman occupation.

This article — a part of the Jesus and history series—describes the period within which Jesus , the central figure of Christianity, is said to have lived. This article examines the historic background of first century Roman Judea , and the trends, tensions and culture of that time, with regard to the historical context of Jesus of Nazareth . Many scholars of the Historical Jesus and early Christianity believe that the New Testament documents and life of Jesus must be viewed as firmly placed within within his historical and cultural context, rather than purely in terms of Christian orthodoxy . Such a study foregrounds the forces which were at play in the Jewish and Roman cultures at that time, and the tensions, trends, and changes in the region under the influence of Hellenism and Roman occupation . The cultural and historical context of Jesus is that of Galilee and Judea (modern day Israel , Palestine , and Jordan ) during the first half of the first century . By 63 BCE, the partially- Hellenized territory had come under Roman imperial rule as a valued crossroads to trading territories and buffer state against the Parthian Empire . The Roman Prefect ’s first duty to Rome was to maintain order, through his political appointee the High Priest . In general, Roman Judea was peaceful and self-managed, although riots , sporadic rebellions, and violent resistance were an ongoing risk. The conflict between the Jews’ demand for religious independence and Rome's efforts to impose a common system of governance upon its entire empire (including in religious and cultural matters ) meant there was a constant underlying tension alongside peaceful governance, with minor outbreaks common. Four decades after Jesus’ death the tensions culminated with the first Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem , which in turn catalysed the final stage in the birth and divergence of Early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism .

Historical and cultural context of the canonical gospels and the life of Jesus Christ Between Peter and Paul, 4th century, Catacomb of Saints Marcellinus and Peter on the Via Labicana Most scholars who study the historical Jesus and early Christianity believe that the canonical gospels and the life of Jesus must be viewed within their historical and cultural context, rather than purely in terms of Christian orthodoxy . They look at Second Temple Judaism , the tensions, trends, and changes in the region under the influence of Hellenism and the Roman occupation , and the Jewish factions of the time, seeing Jesus as a Jew in this environment; and the written New Testament as arising from a period of oral gospel traditions after his death. In 64 BCE, the already partially Hellenized Hasmonean Kingdom of Judea was incorporated into the Roman Republic as a client kingdom when Pompey the Great conquered Jerusalem . The Romans treated Judea as a valued crossroads to trading territories, and as a buffer state against the Parthian Empire . Direct rule was imposed in 6 CE, with the formation of the province of Judea . Roman prefects were appointed to maintain order through a political appointee, the High Priest . After the uprising by Judas the Galilean and before Pontius Pilate (26 CE), in general, Roman Judea was troubled but self-managed. Occasional riots , sporadic rebellions , and violent resistance were an ongoing risk. Throughout the third quarter of the first century, the conflict between the Jews and the Romans gave rise to increasing tensions . Before the end of the third quarter of the first century, these tensions culminated with the first Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem . This war effectively flattened Jerusalem, and the city was later rebuilt as the Roman colony of Aelia Capitolina , in which Jews were forbidden to live.

Christ Between Peter and Paul, 4th century, Catacomb of Saints Marcellinus and Peter on the Via Labicana Most scholars who study the historical Jesus and early Christianity believe that the canonical gospels and the life of Jesus must be viewed within their historical and cultural context, rather than purely in terms of Christian orthodoxy . They look at Second Temple Judaism , the tensions, trends, and changes in the region under the influence of Hellenism and the Roman occupation , and the Jewish factions of the time, seeing Jesus as a Jew in this environment; and the written New Testament as arising from a period of oral gospel traditions after his death. In 64 BCE, the already partially Hellenized Hasmonean Kingdom of Judea was incorporated into the Roman Republic as a client kingdom when Pompey the Great conquered Jerusalem . The Romans treated Judea as a valued crossroads to trading territories, and as a buffer state against the Parthian Empire . Direct rule was imposed in 6 CE, with the formation of the province of Judea . Roman prefects were appointed to maintain order through a political appointee, the High Priest . After the uprising by Judas the Galilean and before Pontius Pilate (26 CE), in general, Roman Judea was troubled but self-managed. Occasional riots , sporadic rebellions , and violent resistance were an ongoing risk. Throughout the third quarter of the first century, the conflict between the Jews and the Romans gave rise to increasing tensions . Before the end of the third quarter of the first century, these tensions culminated with the first Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem . This war effectively flattened Jerusalem, and the city was later rebuilt as the Roman colony of Aelia Capitolina , in which Jews were forbidden to live.