The Roman Conquest
The New Testament was finished in the seventh phase called the Roman Period. A new empire, the dominant Roman Empire, extended throughout the known world. In 64 BC the Roman army ran by a general named Pompey the Great, he conquered Syria and the remaining Seleucid kings. In 63 BC Pompey entered Jerusalem. Gradually Roman power grew throughout the Palestine and the Romans placed the first of the Herods as King.
Over the next two centuries the Romans crushed several Jewish revolts. They were sensitive to any threat against their power. They ruled through governors, the most famous of whom was Pontius Pilate, who held office from 26-36 AD.
The Roman occupation included Jesus’ lifetime. He was born in Bethlehem in Judea around 6BC whilst Caesar Augustus was in rule of the empire, Quirinius was the Roman governor of Syria and Herod the Great was king of Judea. Jesus’ mother Mary and her husband Joseph journeyed to the Judean village of Bethlehem from their home in Nazareth located in the hills of the northern region of Galilee. They did this to take part in a general census of the empire ordered by the king. Jesus grew up in Nazareth and learned to trade from his step-father, Joseph. He began preaching and preforming miracles around about 27 AD. After about three years as a travelling preacher he was crucified on orders from Pontius Pilate on Friday in early April around 30 AD. He rose from the dead the following Sunday. His followers realised that Jesus was both human and divine.
Then the Jews rebelled against Rome from 66 to 70 AD and in 70 AD the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Historians estimate that the Romans slaughtered 600,000 Jews after the city fell. The Jews rebelled against Rome again in 113 AD and war raged for three years before the Romans put down the rebellion. In 132 AD the third and last of the great Jewish rebellions began and the Romans crumpled this rebellion in 135 AD and prohibited any Jew from going within view of the ruins of Jerusalem.
Over the next two centuries the Romans crushed several Jewish revolts. They were sensitive to any threat against their power. They ruled through governors, the most famous of whom was Pontius Pilate, who held office from 26-36 AD.
The Roman occupation included Jesus’ lifetime. He was born in Bethlehem in Judea around 6BC whilst Caesar Augustus was in rule of the empire, Quirinius was the Roman governor of Syria and Herod the Great was king of Judea. Jesus’ mother Mary and her husband Joseph journeyed to the Judean village of Bethlehem from their home in Nazareth located in the hills of the northern region of Galilee. They did this to take part in a general census of the empire ordered by the king. Jesus grew up in Nazareth and learned to trade from his step-father, Joseph. He began preaching and preforming miracles around about 27 AD. After about three years as a travelling preacher he was crucified on orders from Pontius Pilate on Friday in early April around 30 AD. He rose from the dead the following Sunday. His followers realised that Jesus was both human and divine.
Then the Jews rebelled against Rome from 66 to 70 AD and in 70 AD the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Historians estimate that the Romans slaughtered 600,000 Jews after the city fell. The Jews rebelled against Rome again in 113 AD and war raged for three years before the Romans put down the rebellion. In 132 AD the third and last of the great Jewish rebellions began and the Romans crumpled this rebellion in 135 AD and prohibited any Jew from going within view of the ruins of Jerusalem.