Life in 1st century Palestine Flashcards
Palestine was a term used to describe a specific region by the Romans. What areas does the region of Palestine cover using today’s geogrphical language?
It is in the Eastern Mediterranean, covering what is today the State of Isreal and parts of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan
What had the southern part of Palestine previously been?
The Jewish kingdom of Judah, until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 597 BCE
When did the Jews return to Judah, following the Babylonian exile in 597 BCE?
539 BCE; they set about rebuilding their homeland, conscious of God’s Old Testament promise that the entire region was a ‘promised land’ for the descendants of Abraham
Who were the Hasmoneans?
Ruled Judea (as it became known) and managed to create a fully independent Jewish kingdom between 110-63 BCE, until the Roman Empire invaded the region
What happened when the Hasmoneans rebelled against the Romans?
They were crushed in 37 BCE and another family, the Herodians, who would be more loyal to Rome, were installed as rulers.
Describe Herod the Great
Ruled the region of Judea for 30 years with the backing of the Roman Empire. He was unpopular with his Jewish subjects, because his family had only recently converted to Judaism and he clearly didn’t take the religion seriously. He murdered many of his family members and oppressed his citizens; his death in 4 BCE came as a relief to the people
What did Herod the Great leave behind as his legacy?
The magnificent temple in Jerusalem that he had expanded and lavished gold upon in a bid for popularity
What happened to the region after the death of Herod the Great?
Herod’s sons divided up his territory between them, but they were not as successful as their father
Who was Herod Antipas?
The son of Herod the Great, he ruled Galilee and had a scandalous personal life
Who was Herod Archelaus?
The son of Herod the Great, he ruled Judea with so much oppression and bloodshed that the Romans had to remove him from power
What did the Romans do after removing Herod Archelaus from power?
They made Judea a Roman province and sent a governor to run the territory for them
What did the governor do in Judea?
Their main job was to collect taxes and keep the peace. They would be based in the coastal town of Caesarea and would travel to Jerusalem, as this would the time when rebellions were most likely
Who was the Roman governor during Jesus’ adult life?
Pontius Pilate
Who were the publicans?
They helped the governor run Judea by collecting taxes, reporting on troublemakers and imposing the law
Why were the publicans widely hated?
Because they would often demand bribes and used their connection to the Romans to extort and bully neighbours. Jews who became publicans were thought to havve ‘sold out’.
What was the major upside to becoming a publican?
You could get rich quick
What was the major downside to becoming a publican?
They risked being ostracised by their community; with some being kidnapped and murdered
Aside from the Publicans, which other group did the Romans rely on to run Judea on their behalf?
The Temple Priesthood in Jerusalem; as they already employed their own soldiers and collected their own taxes. They would work closely with the Herodian Kings and Roman governors. In the eyes of many Jews, this made them little better than the publicans
Describe the character of Pontius Pilate
Insensitive and brutal
What was the main social distinction in Palestine?
Between the Jews and the Gentiles (non-Jews)
Which groups made up the Gentile population of Palestine?
Greeks, Romans, neighbouring Egyptians, Syrians and Persians
Who were the Samaritans?
They considered themselves to be the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel but were regarded as liars and heretics by the Jews of Judea
How did the Jews co-exist with the Gentiles?
They lived side by side, traded and formed friendships with each other. However, the Jews who followed their religion strictly could not eat or inter-marry with their Gentile neighbours
What did the Romans like about the Jewish faith?
- It was very old and ‘old’ meant ‘good’ in the Roman world
- They admired their social ethics; like collecting money for charity and providing healthcare and education for the poor
Why did the Romans find the Jewish faith irritating?
- Resting on the Sabbath
- The food laws
- The way they kept themselves separate
- They had a reputation for squabbling with one another and being difficult to govern
Who were the metuentes?
Gentiles who worshipped the God of Judaism and imitated Jewish practises, such as keeping the Sabbath and avoiding certain meats
What was the occupation of most Jews at this time?
Farmers or fishermen (especially on the Sea of Galilee)
Where did the Jews of 1st century Palestine live?
Small villages that existed alongside bigger towns built by the Greeks and Romans
Where was Capernaum?
A fishing village on the north shore of Lake Galilee, where Jesus began his ministry. He preached sermons and performed his first miracles there
What happened in Jerusalem during times of festival?
Its population of 50,000 would triple, with pilgrims flooding into the city along with Roman soldiers to police the streets
Define ‘Jewish’
Refers to a race of people and a religion
When did Abraham live
2000-1500 BCE