General Knowledge/Definitions Flashcards
Where was Jesus born?
Bethlehem, West Bank
4 places associated with Jesus
- Nazareth
- Caesarea Philippi
- Cana of Galilee
- Capernaum
Who was in power at the time?
Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect
4 places associated with Jesus
- Nazareth (place where Jesus grew up)
- Cana (place at which miracle of water to wine took place)
- Jerusalem (holy to the three major Abrahamic religions)
- Bethlehem (birthplace of Jesus)
What language did Jesus speak?
Aramaic
Who were the religious groups during the time of the NT?
- Pharisees
- Sadducees
- Essenes
Name one religious festival that Jesus would have celebrated
Passover
What were the three main sources of information at the time of Jesus?
- the Bible
- the Jewish historian, Josephus
- the Dead Sea Scrolls
When was literature such as the NT & works of Josephus written?
between 30 & 70 years after the death of Jesus
What problems may literature written after the death of Jesus cause - is it possible to be objective & scientific about the events recorded?
What are the synoptic gospels?
- synoptic coming from the Greek word similar
- contains the writing of Matthew, Mark & Luke
What is the significance of John’s gospel?
- very different to the synoptic gospels in terms of style, language, structure & content
- there are many layers of symbolism & theology
- it is the most intriguing gospel because it is surrounded by mystery
What is John’s gospel often referred to?
the ‘spiritual Gospel’
Why was nothing written down for over 20 years after Jesus’ death & resurrection?
- Jesus did not command anybody to write, as well as this he left no trace of any solo writing
- early followers were Jewish Christians - they didn’t see themselves as the beginnings of a new religion so therefore didn’t need new scriptures
- early Christians assumed Jesus would come again soon so they just kept traditions alive by word of mouth
What was significant about Jesus during the mid 60’s (CE)?
- was clear that Jesus’s second coming was not certain & many witnesses of the resurrection had passed away (including Peter & Paul)
- therefore, they decided to write a structured account of Jesus’s words & deeds
What four things contributed to the formation of the Gospels?
- the first generation & the apostles died
- the local communities grew stronger
- the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed in AD 70
- the importance of the Gentile Christians increased
What is the significance of the first generation & the death of the apostles?
- Paul, Peter & James were executed between AD60 & AD64
- this created a conflict of authority so people wrote letters on behalf of the dead apostles
- in comparison, early Christian letters were meant to guide the communities directly, the Gospels exercised authority indirectly in that they defined Jesus’s life
- additionally, it was becoming clear that Jesus’s Second Coming was not imminent & that it seemed right to write a logical account of Jesus’s words & actions
What is the significance of
What is Hellenism?
spreading of Greek culture & language around the known world by establishing cities across Alexander the Great’s empire which attempted to emulate Athens
How did Hellenism affect the Jews?
- Hellenism spread Greek culture everywhere
- being a member of the empire provided security & power
- if you wanted power & influence as a Jew you had to understand & pretend to appreciate the culture of the ruling powers
- however, if you were in the lower classes, these new influences were despised & hated
- Jews wanted to define their own culture rather than do what the pagans did
- they therefore hated the “gentiles”
Define synagogue
the building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship & instruction
Define Herodian
(in NT) a member of a Jewish sect associated with the Pharisees in opposition to Jesus, & assumed to be supporters of Herod the Great’s dynasty
Define scribe
- a Jewish recordkeeper
- more recently; a professional theologian & jurist
Define Sanhedrin
the supreme council & tribunal of the Jews during post-exilic times headed by a High Priest & having religious, civil & criminal jurisdiction
Define post-exilic
relating to the period of Jewish history between the end of the exile in Babylon in 538 BC & 1 AD
Define jurisdiction
the official power to make legal decisions & judgements
Define exile
the state of being barred from one’s native country for political or corrective reasons
Who is Caiaphas?
the high priest at the beginning of John the Baptists’s preaching & during the trial of Jesus
Define rabbi
a Jewish scholar or teacher, especially one who studies or teaches Jewish law
Who is Pontius Pilate?
the Roman procurator (treasury officer) of Judaea who ordered that Jesus be crucified
Who is Quirinus?
a god of war, who came to be identified with the holy Romulus
Summarise Isaiah 53
- the Messiah never stood out as a young man; people didn’t think he looked important/special
