Transcript He was crucified between 30-33 AD in

Topic: The Rise of
Christianity
Unit: Rome
Essential Question
How did Christianity
evolve over time in the
Roman Empire?
The Life of Jesus
• Born between 7-2 BC in
the Roman controlled
territory of Galilee
• He was a Jewish teacher
who many believed to be
the messiah (savior).
• He was crucified between
30-33 AD in Jerusalem by
the Roman governor,
Pontius Pilate after being
accused of crimes by the
Jewish priest Caiaphus
The Teachings of Jesus
Even with Jesus gone his followers continued to
spread his teachings……
• Love one’s enemies
• Refrain from hatred and lust
• Turn the other cheek
• Practice the Golden Rule
• Belief in miracles by those who have faith in
God
• Resurrection
. . . .
Make a
prediction
about what will
happen to
next to those
who adopt
Christianity.
Persecution
• At first, Romans saw Christianity as a branch
of Judaism and did not anticipate it’s
popularity.
• For awhile, Christians were protected under
Roman law- but things changed….
• Christians would not accept the Roman gods,
or the divinity of the Roman Emperors so they
were considered a threat to the state.
• Before long Christians were blamed for many
of Rome’s problems and often attacked or
killed.
Nero and the Christians
(Write the story in your own words)
• In 64 AD, there was a great fire
in Rome burned for six days
destroying much of the city.
• The Emperor Nero quickly
blamed the fire on Christians,
despite there being no
evidence of their involvement
• They were used as human
torches, torn apart by wild
dogs and crucified by the
Roman authority.
Empire Problems
• Problem?
– As the empire grows larger, problems begin to
mount.
– It is too difficult for one to govern.
• Solution?
– Emperor Diocletian establishes the Tetrarchy:
decides to divide the empire into four parts
– Each part ruled by a co-emperor
Constantine 306-337 CE
• One of the most important
emperors in Roman history.
• Reunites Roman Empire under one
emperor
• He made Christianity legal with the
Edict of Milan and halted persecutions.
• Became the first Christian Roman
Emperor.
• He moved the capitol to Constantinople
and turned it into a “Christian” capital.