James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into

various trials,..”

Leader – ideal “freedom at all costs”

To a group - 1933 “no respectable German shops here”

To the media Nov 8, 1937, propaganda art exhibit entitled

“wandering Jew”over 150,000 people attended in 3

days

To the schools -

Jews are not welcome here, & how the Jew cheats

To the public 1935 - “no Jews are welcome”

To the loss of social rights

Krakow ghetto German soldier inspects Jewish papers

To acceptable public violence – burning on kristallnacht (Nov 1938 night of broken glass)

October ’41 ration card 300 calories a day. Warsaw Ghetto

Gas Chamber at Flossenburg

James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into

various trials,..”

39-40 AD THE IDEAL – Media - Schools

Philo leads embassy of Jews to Son of murdered Germanus – “little boots” = Caligula – (37-41) (loopy –

“kiss me” “sweetie”) (brothel of senator’s wives –mandatory attendance – horse senator – Killed by

praetorian guard – replaced by uncle Claudius) Caligula says they will always be under his control-Christianity is a religio illicita: it is approved by the state neither as a religious cult nor as a voluntary

association.  Christians refuse to participate in state cult, and are without exemption provided to Jews.

41- 46 AD – Public ask why? – Social rights

• Great Famine in Judea

• ~42-44 AD James, the brother of John, was beheaded (Acts 12.2).

• 45 The church in Antioch sent famine relief to the Christians of Judea by the hands of Saul and Barnabas (Acts 11.29).

• 49 According to the Roman historian Suetonius (70-122), Claudius "Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus expelled them from Rome" (Clau., xxv).

“Judaeos, impulsore Chresto, assidue tumultuantes (Claudius) Roma expulit.”

49 -50 AD• Death of Helena, queen mother of the kingdom of Adiabene, a Jewish state in northern Mesopotamia.  Adiabene was frequently allied with Persia in wars against Rome.

• The emperor Claudius promoted the cult of the Great Mother (Magna Mater) of the Gods and her consort Attis.  The two had been introduced into the Roman pantheon around 200 B.C.

57-59 AD public jumps in

• 57-59 Paul imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23.33-26.32), under Felix and Festus.

59 AD Nero orders murder of Mom

• 62 According to tradition, James the Just, bishop of Jerusalem, was killed in the temple by an angry mob, apparently struck in the head with a sledgehammer.

• Tradition has it Bartholomew was martyred in Kalyana, a city state on the west coast of India, near modern-day Bombay.  Bartholomew was skinned alive and crucified.

• Paul tried and acquitted in Rome.

A third century legend has it that Simon Magus (Acts 8.9-24) and St. Peter had confrontations in Rome.  Simon, wishing to gain an advantage over Peter and to impress Claudius with his ability to fly, fell to his death from the top of

the Roman Forum. MEDIA GOES NUTS

64 Nero kicks his wife Poppaea to death

July, 64 1st Persecution of Christians, under Nero.  When Rome burned for six days, Nero (54-68) blamed the Christians.  In 62, Nero had married Poppea Sabina, a proselyte to Judaism.  Of Nero’s persecution, Tacitus wrote,

“First Nero had self-acknowledged Christians arrested.  Then, on their information, large numbers of others were condemned.  ...Their deaths were made farcical.  Dressed in wild animal’s skins, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or

crucified, or made into torches to be ignited after dark as substitutes for daylight.” 

MEDIA

65 ANIHILATION

• The Pisonian conspiracy against Nero fails. The philosopher Seneca and others forced to commit suicide. 66 –––––– Jewish revolt begins. Vespasian leads legions against the Jews in Judaea.

• 66 Jewish rebellion began and war between the Romans and Jews ensued.  Jerusalem was taken in 70 and destroyed, as was Herod’s temple.  Later, in the second century, Justin Martyr would teach that this destruction was the judgment of God upon a nation that had rejected its Messiah and failed to discern that, under the new dispensation, the temple sacrifices were abrogated.

• 67 –––––– The Jewish leader Josephus surrenders to the Romans at Jotapata. 68 –––––– Nero declared public enemy by the Senate, commits suicide, thereby ending the dynasty of Augustus. Galba named Emperor.

• 67/68 St. Paul martyred on the road from Rome to Ostia.  Beheaded by the sword.  About this same time St. Peter also martyred, crucified upside down.

68 AD

• Nero Commits Suicide Qualis artifex pereo! -- What a loss I shall be to the arts!

69 AD

• Otho and Vitellius reign briefly. Vespasian named Emperor and founds the Flavian dynasty.

. 5.  Letters between Pliny and Trajan during the second decade of the second

century.  Pliny is a provincial governor and writes to the emperor Trajan for instructions on how to deal with

Christians.  Trajan replies that “they are not to be sought out nor were anonymous denunciations to be acted on.  But once

then have been identified and have refused to stop their illicit cult, they are to be executed.  The problem seems to be obstinacy  more than the threat of a rival

cult.”