Jerusalem and Early Christianity

1
Jerusalem and Early Christianity
2
Judaism and Early Christianity

• West Graeco-Roman culture Biblical tradition
  (a book is Israels contribution). Children of
  Israel
• Period of Patriarchs (Abraham). Canaan.12 tribes
• Period of Exodus (Joseph, Egypt)
• Period of the Conquest (Canaan)
• United Monarchy (Saul, David, Solomon)
• Divided Kingdom (Israel N and Judah S) and Exile
• Return. Masada AD 73. Jewish rebels

3
Hebrew Bible and Its Message

• Bible-Byblos (GK word for papyrus reed-city)
• Divided into 3 gps Law-Prophets-Writings
• Law First five books Torah (Heb. Word for
  instructions/ teaching)
• Prophet contains writings of moral teachers (GK
  one who speaks for another here for God)
• Writings Wisdom Literature poetry (Psalms or
  prose or combination (book of Job).
• A.D. 90 Canon established by Group of rabbis.
• Christians added 27 books of New Testament

4
Septuagint

• Ancient Gk version of the Hebrew scriptures
• Version of Bible used in the ancient world
• some of these old books from the Old Testament
  are accepted by Roman Catholics and Orthodox
  Christians as canonical

5
Basic Bible Motifs

• 1.Biblical Monotheism (God in human history) vs
  Polytheism and Henotheism
• --God created world by utterance --God pronounces
  creation good God creates humans as apex of
  creation.
• God not from chaos, creation not illusion, God
  not the same as world
• Covenant. I will be your God, you will be my
  people (testament)

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Basic Bible Motifs

• 2. Ethics. Humans in image, likeliness of God. 10
  commandments. Prophets. Messiah (anointed one).
  Social injustice. Not hereditary (like priests)
  called to justice
• MLK example
• 3. Modes and types. (Reed sea). Pilgrims.
  Children of Israel. Slaves.

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Beginnings of Christianity

• Gospels appeared a generation after death of
  Jesus (Acts first).
• Jesus in prophet tradition
• Christ (Greek for anointed one X??st??)
• Beatitudes or Sermon on the Mount
• Belief in resurrection
• Saul, Jewish zealot. Damascus A.D. 35. Paul
• Separated Jesus from Judaism.
• Missionary. Spoke to Greeks in Athens. Created
  pockets of believers. Letters to Romans,
  Galatians, Corinthians

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Christian Faiths Success and Persecution

• Peace. Koine (common Greek). Salvation. Mutual
  aid and charity. Freedom from class distinction.
  Individuals escape from empire
• Emperor Claudius expelled Christians from Rome.
  Decius(250), Valerian (257), Diocletian (303)
• 312 Constantine. Milan decree (tolerance for
  Christianity)
• Charge Atheists. Against pietas (love and
  reverential fear individual to parents to family
  to state to God) since they didnt it struck at
  public or civic order
• Apologists wrote about Christian moral code and
  why they couldnt worship the Roman gods (
  monotheism forbade it)
• Tertulian ( acid tongued North African Christian
  160 225) said see pg 210.
• Justin Martyr. Born in Palestine, converts, in
  A.D. 165 scrouged and beheaded under
  anti-Christian laws

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Tertullian (1160-205)

• If the Tiber floods, its banks or the Nile
  doesnt flood if the heavens stand still or the
  earth quakes, if there is hunger or drought,
  quickly goes the cry Christians to the Lions

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Early Christian Art

• little before 4rth cent A.D because of its
  illegal status and clandestine life
• Cemeteries. Catacombs hewn form soft rock called
  tufa not hiding places for Christians as
  romantically believed martyrs from these places
  burried in Rome in the Middle Ages ( from the
  name of one of them Coemeterium ad catacumbas.
• Frescoes (Last supper) Jonah, raising of Lazarus
• Depiction of Mary w/child in Catcombs of
  Priscilla in Rome
• Glass/Sculpture ( gold cutouts between them) for
  both Jewish and Christian
• Inscriptions (fish) why imp Gk letter anagram
  for phrase Jesus Christ Our Savior anchor
  (hope0 bird w/ olive branch (peace)

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Dura-Europos (in present day Syria)

• Destroyed in A.D256 by Persians /
• Excavated in 1930 Small Roman garrison town -
  shows Roman tolerance
• Has street running N to S along city wall called
  Wall Street
• Street has Christian house church with some
  intact frescoes, Temple to Semitic God called
  Aphlad, temple to Zeus, cult of Mithra, Jewish
  synagogue( has frescoes shows usual Jewish
  resistance to visual arts not so total or
  pervasive
• Mingling of Eastern Roman styles (Byzantine
  world)

12
Constantine (306-337) and Early Christian
Architecture

• Saint Peters Basilica in Vatican rests on
  remains of basilica built by Constantine in
  306-337)
• Atrium-nave-transept-clerestory (lighting source)
  model for later church
• Church of Holy SepulchreJerusalem built in
  basilica style, with atrium in front of basilic
  hall, with one imp difference with domed
  structure that covered the rocky place where
  Christs body was buried for 3 days

13
Early Christian Music

• Singing. Lyre
• Choir. Soon seen as distracting. One cantor for
  each congregation
• Reaction against Greek belief of ethos in music
• Instrumental music rejected
• 4th ce responsorial singing and antiphonal singing