From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians, Part One (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
TLDRThe script traces the origins and growth of early Christianity, beginning with Jesus's life in first-century Palestine under Roman rule. It explores the emergence of the Jesus movement and its spread across the Roman Empire, including key figures like Paul, controversies over including Gentiles, expectations of Jesus's imminent return, and the growing rift between Christianity and Judaism after the destruction of Jerusalem. The summary sets the stage for the later rise of the Gospel accounts and the eventual conflict between the Roman Empire and the followers of Christ.
Takeaways
- 😀 Little historical evidence exists about Jesus' life outside of biblical accounts; most is inferred from his followers' writings
- 😮 Jesus was born in Judea during reign of King Herod, who rebuilt Jerusalem on a grand scale to impress Rome
- 🤔 Jesus likely grew up in Nazareth, a small town but near the large, Roman-influenced city Sepphoris
- 😊 As a Jew, Jesus would have observed religious rituals at the great Temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life
- 🧐 Jesus drew followers with his teachings, healings and charisma, but likely ran afoul of both Jewish and Roman authorities
- 👍 The apostle Paul spread Christianity widely around the Roman Empire by adapting it for gentiles and urban settings
- 😲 Paul expected Jesus' imminent return and end times, but still built early Christian communities when it didn't happen
- 😠 Rivalries and turf wars arose early on between Paul's followers and more traditional Jewish Christians
- 😨 Growing Jewish resentment against Roman rule erupted in open rebellion, with apocalyptic overtones, in 66 CE
- 🤨 After Romans brutally crushed the revolt and destroyed the Temple in 70 CE, Christians split further from Jewish roots
Q & A
What evidence do historians have about the life of Jesus?
-Very little direct evidence. Main sources are the gospel accounts written later by his followers. Historians rely on interpreting clues and stories about Jesus to try to reconstruct his life.
How much religious diversity and debate existed within Judaism at Jesus' time?
-There was significant diversity and debate. Many different Jewish groups and sects existed with a variety of beliefs and interpretations about Judaism. The Dead Sea Scrolls showed the radical beliefs of the Essenes.
What was the importance of cities like Sepphoris and the influences on Jesus' early life?
-Sepphoris was a major urban center near Nazareth, exposing Jesus to Greek and Roman influences. This challenges the view of him being isolated and suggests he had the sophistication to interact in urban environments.
What different interpretations existed about Jesus' message and meaning?
-Views differed widely - some focused on him as a social reformer, others as an apocalyptic prophet. The diverse gospel accounts also show differing interpretations of his life and message after his death.
How did the Romans view Jesus and why did they crucify him?
-The Romans saw Jesus as just another Jewish peasant rabble-rouser. Though not an immediate threat to imperial power, his talk of a "Kingdom of God" challenged Roman authority, justifying his crucifixion.
What happened after Jesus' crucifixion to the movement that followed him?
-His followers were terrified at first, expecting retaliation as his accomplices. They searched scriptures to make sense of his death, eventually proclaiming his resurrection and continuing the Jesus movement.
How did groups like the Essenes and John the Baptist influence Jesus?
-The apocalyptic beliefs of groups like Essenes shaped the climate. John's message aligns with baptizing Jesus, but actual influence on Jesus is unclear.
What compromises did Paul make to expand Christianity to Gentiles?
-He allowed them to participate without full conversion to Judaism, including not requiring circumcision or food laws. This caused conflict but opened up the movement.
What impact did the First Jewish Revolt have on early Christians?
-It was traumatic for both Jews and Christians in Jerusalem. With the temple destroyed, both groups had to rethink assumptions about traditions, influencing an eventual split.
How were the later Gospel accounts interpretations of Jesus and his meaning?
-The Gospels were not biographies but religious arguments to support different views of Jesus. They show the diversity of interpretations that existed in early Christianity.
Outlines
😀 Introduction to the story of Jesus
This first paragraph introduces the story of Jesus - how it has been told and retold over 2000 years, taking on new interpretations over time. It sets the stage for exploring who the historical Jesus was through the latest scholarship and archaeological discoveries.
🏛️ Jesus born under Herod and Rome's power
This paragraph describes the historical context of Jesus' birth - Judea was ruled by Herod the Great as a client king under the Roman Empire. It emphasizes how Jesus was born a subject under Rome's power during the Pax Romana period.
🏡 Jesus likely grew up in vibrant, Roman-influenced Galilee
This paragraph challenges the view of Jesus growing up in a rural backwater, highlighting recent archaeological discoveries showing Sepphoris, near Nazareth, as a major Roman-influenced urban center. Jesus likely had to know Greek and interact with such culture for business/ministry.
🕍 The central role of the Jerusalem temple in Jewish life
The paragraph emphasizes the Jerusalem temple as the symbolic center of Jewish identity and religious life at the time - the one sacred place where heaven and earth met. Jews everywhere would save money to celebrate pilgrimage festivals there.
🤝 Complex political and social dynamics among Jews under Rome
This covers the diversity among Jews - lack of a monolithic religious entity. Variety of groups with differing views, including revolutionary zealots and the isolationist Essenes. Sets context for understanding Jesus' message.
🔥 Essenes prediction of the apocalyptic end of days
The paragraph profiles the ascetic, apocalyptic Jewish sect - the Essenes. Their Dead Sea scroll discovery revealed belief in a coming cataclysmic war ushering divine victory and a messianic age on earth - influencing Jewish hopes.
😕 Jesus' cryptic message about the Kingdom of God
This covers how Jesus taught ordinary people using provocative agricultural imagery about the Kingdom of God. His message was enigmatic, emphasized ethical action, challenging people to decode the meaning.
⚔️ Growing tension with Rome amid apocalyptic expectations
The paragraph describes escalating sociopolitical tensions building up in Judea by the time of Jesus' ministry, fueled by apocalyptic fervor and prophetic figures like John the Baptist. Jesus headed for trouble with his message.
☠️ Jesus executed by Rome as political threat
Political dynamics in Jerusalem led Jesus to be arrested likely in cooperation between Jewish priestly leadership and Pilate. As dissident preaching the Kingdom of God, Jesus was swiftly executed by Rome as potential threat.
😇 Jesus followers try making sense of crucifixion
After the traumatic shock of Jesus' death, this covers how followers found meaning by seeing his suffering as fulfilling prophecies of the persecuted righteous one. Proclaiming his resurrection let them call him Messiah.
🌄 Paul - the diaspora Jew who spread the message to gentiles
This introduces Paul, the zealous diaspora Jew turned apostle taking Jesus' message to gentiles after a revelation. With urban ministry throughout the Roman empire, Paul shaped early Christianity more than any other.
⚖️ Debate over converting gentiles - circumcision vs baptism
The paragraph covers the major controversy faced by the early Jesus movement - whether gentiles had to fully convert to Judaism first, including circumcision. Paul argued for direct inclusion of gentiles.
🍽️ Communal meals and varied social status within early church
This describes early Christian communal worship based in household spaces hosting shared meals, with members ranging across social spectrum - contrary to view as solely lower-class movement.
🌋 Paul urgently preaches the imminent Kingdom of God
The paragraph emphasizes Paul's apocalyptic expectation of the Kingdom's impending arrival and end of existing world order - requiring readiness. His letters constantly address concerns over timing.
🔥🔥 Jewish revolt breaks out against Roman rule in Judea
This sets the context of rising Jewish resistance and tensions with Rome culminating in outbreak of the first Jewish revolt in 66 CE. Some early Christians saw it as the apocalyptic event expected.
😱 Destruction of Jerusalem and the temple under Rome
The paragraph gives an account of Rome's brutal suppression of the Jewish revolt, culminating in 70 CE with conquest of Jerusalem, slaughter of inhabitants and burning destruction of the temple.
📜 The beginnings of the written Gospels take shape
With Jerusalem destroyed and the Jesus movement in flux, the paragraph marks the start of written Gospels emerging - aimed to proclaim the authors' interpretations of Jesus amidst identity tensions between Jews/Christians.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Jesus
💡messiah
💡Kingdom of God
💡apocalyptic
💡diaspora
💡Paul
💡Gospels
💡Jerusalem
💡revolt
💡Rome
Highlights
Very little evidence exists about the historical Jesus beyond his birth, baptism, preaching, execution by crucifixion, and the movement that began after his death.
Jesus was likely born in Nazareth during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus, grew up near the city of Sepphoris, and worked as a builder before becoming a preacher.
Jesus was deeply embedded in the Judaism of his time, worshipped in synagogues, preached from Jewish texts, and celebrated Jewish festivals and rituals.
Recent archaeological discoveries show Jesus lived close to the thriving, cosmopolitan city of Sepphoris, challenging the image of him as a humble peasant.
Jesus' message focused on the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God, which had deeply political implications and brought him into conflict with Roman authorities.
The effect of Jesus' crucifixion was to terrify his followers, who then found meaning in his death through connecting it to prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures.
The early Jesus movement was highly diverse with groups scattered across the Roman empire trying to keep Jesus' memory alive in different ways.
Paul opened Christianity to Gentiles by arguing they did not need to fully convert to Judaism or be circumcised to join the Jesus movement.
Paul preached the imminent arrival of God's kingdom and salvation for those converted, creating conflict with supporters of Roman imperial rule.
Apocalyptic expectations fueled growing Jewish resistance against Rome, erupting in open conflict in 66 CE when rebels seized Jerusalem.
The Roman sack of Jerusalem in 70 CE was a traumatic event for Jews and Christians, forcing them to rethink assumptions about the failure of revolt.
The Gospels are a form of religious advertisement proclaiming their authors' interpretations of Jesus rather than objective biographies.
Conflict grew between Jews and the Jesus movement as Christianity developed further from its Jewish roots apparent in the Gospels.
The Gospels highlight conflict between following Jesus and obedience to Rome, with Christians seen as threats to imperial power.
Stories of Jesus' words and deeds were elaborated and retold by early Christians to proclaim their vision of his message.
Transcripts
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