1.2 The world of the first century Flashcards
Religious groups in 1st century Palestine
- Zealots
- Pharisees
- Saducees
- Essenes
Who were the Pharisees ?
- followed the oral law
- hates Jesus
- believed in life after death
Who were the Zealots ?
- religious extremists
- Jesus was maybe a zealot
- Judas was the leader
- situated in Galilee, which was famous as a breeding, ground for revolutionaries 
Essenes
- Monks
- lived a life of solitude
- wanted a priestly messiah
Saducees
- written law
- high priests
- money
inheritance - hated Jesus
- did not believe in life after death
What is Hellenism
The greek influence over 1st century palestine
Jews in Hellenism
The Jews realised if you wanted power, you needed to adapt to a Greek way of life
which gospel has a hellenised influence
John
Stoicism
Philosophy that the world is made and sustained by god
Platonism
Philosophy that there is a material world and a world of forms
Gnosticism
Philosophy which believed in two spirits higher and a low spirit, and sometimes the higher spirits fell, but knowledge was given to those all worthy, and they were able to return to the highest spiritual world .
Roman occupation in first century Palestine
The tower of Anthony was a tower in the Jewish temple, where the Romans were situated. It was an assertion of power over religion.
The Jews could only practice their religion because the Roman said they can. It was a protected religion (“religio lecita”)
Rivkin on roman occupation
The Romans (caesar)
employe A procurator (pilate)
procurator, assigned a high priest, (ciaphus)
high priest employees laws, (taxes)
laws, make people sad,
sad people cause revolution (zealots)
Was jesus a political messiah
great question