Chapter Six: Early Judaism and Christianity

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Chapter SixEarly Judaism and Christianity

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Early Judaism

• Abram / Abraham 2000 1750 bce
• Leaves Ur
• Covenant with God
• Land/Protection for Worship/Obedience
• Sign of the covenant circumcision
• Human dignity / loyalty
• Henotheistic Belief (Book is Wrong!)

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Early Judaism, cont.

• Moses
• Exodus from Egypt
• Passover holiday
• Beginning of Law (Torah)
• Enter into Canaan

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Early Judaism, cont

• Joshua
• Brings the Hebrews into Canaan
• Judges
• Loose connection between tribes

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• Monarchy
• Saul 1st king
• David
• Expanded territory
• Jerusalem as capitol
• Solomon
• Builds 1st Temple

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• Split Kingdom
• Northern Kingdom of Israel
• 721 falls to Assyrians
• Southern Kingdom of Judah
• 581 falls to Babylonians
• Temple destroyed
• Babylonian Captivity

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New Influences / Ideas

• Return from Babylon
• Synagogue worship
• Satan as adversary (Zoroastrianism)
• Rebuild the Temple
• Hellenistic Influences
• Gnosis
• Body/soul dichotomy
• Immortality of the soul

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End of Jewish Rule

• Independence won by Judah Maccabee
• Hanukkah
• Roman Control of Judea (Palestine)
• 70 ce destruction of Jewish groups
• Destruction of the Temple (for good)
• Diaspora

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The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)

• 3 major parts
• Torah Law 1st 5 books
• Neviim Prophets Next 21 books
• Kethuvim Writings Last 12 books
• Set as it is today by 90 ce
• Septuagint (70) standard text

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Basic Motifs of the Bible

• Biblical Monotheism
• God exists before the world
• Creation ex nihilio (from nothing)
• God pronounces creation as good
• Humans are the crown of creation
• God deeply involved in the world
• Covenant (testament)
• Renewed covenant New Testament (Christianity
  only)

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Basic Motifs of the Bible

• Ethics
• Moral code for individuals and society
• Ten Commandments
• Positive commands Prohibitions
• Prophetic writings
• Critics of social injustice, defenders of poor
• Reminders of the covenant
• Amos
• Jeremiah

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1. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought
thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other
gods before me. 2. Thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord thy God in vain. 3. Thou
shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath. Thou
shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them. 4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep
it holy. 5. Honor thy father and thy mother
that thy days may be long.
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6. Thou shalt not kill. 7. Thou shalt not commit
adultery. 8. Thou shalt not steal. 9. Thou
shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbor. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's wife, nor his
manservant, nor anything that is thy
neighbor's.
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The Beginnings of Christianity

• Jewish Roots new understandings
• Life of Jesus
• Gospels
• Teachings of Jesus
• Parables, Beatitudes
• Jesus as Christ, the Messiah
• Significance of resurrection

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Christianity Spreads

• Saul of Tarsus (Paul)
• Tireless missionary
• Non-Jewish converts
• Theological letters (epistles)
• Social, religious factors for growth
• Peace, facility of travel, koine, audience
• Emphasis on salvation, freedom
• No class distinction

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Christian Persecution

• Pliny the Elder / Neros Circus
• Claudius, Decius, Valerian, Diocletian
• Christians as traitors to the state
• Refusal to express pietàs
• Apologists
• Justin Martyr (100-165)
• Emperor Constantine

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Basic Motifs of the Bible

• Models and types
• Events, stories, characters as models
• Contemporary impact of biblical tradition
• Literature
• Art
• Social institutions

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Early Jewish Art

• Prohibition against images
• 2nd commandment
• Present in synagogues

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Early Christian Art

• Catacombs, underground cemeteries
• Frescoes
• Salvation Communion Virgin and Child
• Glass and Sculpture
• Christ as Good Shepherd, glass disks
• Carved sarcophagi
• Inscriptions
• Name, date of death, decorative symbol

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Dura-Europas

• Evidence of religious tolerance and coexistence
• Religious buildings on Wall Street
• Complex religious existence
• Artistic mingling of Eastern and Roman styles
• Precursor of Byzantine art

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Constantine and Early Christian Architecture

• Emperor Constantine (C.E. 306-337)
• Edict of Toleration
• Basilica-Style Churches
• Current site of St. Peters Basilica (Vatican)
• Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)
• Jesus burial site

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Chapter Six Discussion Questions

• Discuss contemporary examples that illustrate the
  permeation of the biblical tradition in our
  culture.
• Explain why Nero and other Roman emperors were
  unwilling to tolerate Christianity. From a
  political standpoint, was the severity of
  punishment inflicted on Christians warranted? Why
  or why not?
• Consider the archeological findings of
  Dura-Europos. In what ways does history
  over-simplify past events? In two thousand years,
  what will future generations assume about our
  culture, religions, and religious tolerance?
  Explain.