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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
The Roman Province Of Judea: A Historical Overview, John F. Hall
The Roman Province Of Judea: A Historical Overview, John F. Hall
BYU Studies Quarterly
Rome's acquisition of Judea and subsequent involvement in the affairs of that long-troubled area came about in largely indirect fashion. For centuries Judea had been under the control of the Hellenistic Greek monarchy centered in Syria and known as the Seleucid empire, one of the successor states to the far greater empire of Alexander the Great, who conquered the vast reaches of the Persian empire toward the end of the fourth century B.C. as thee decaying Seleucid monarchy disintegrated, Rome was compelled to take control of the eastern littoral of the Mediterranean and its hinterland in order to prevent ambitious …
The Roman Army In The First Century, William J. Hamblin
The Roman Army In The First Century, William J. Hamblin
BYU Studies Quarterly
At the time of Jesus, the Roman army was at the height of its power and prestige. In the preceding four centuries, Roman legions had raised Rome from a small regional city-state to master of the entire Mediterranean world. Barring a few notable defeats—such as during the war against Hannibal or the battle of the Teutoberg Forest—Roman arms had proved victorious against Gauls, Germans, Iberians, Britons, Mauritanians, Numidians, Cartheginians, Libyans, Egyptians, Illyrians, Macedonians, Greeks, Thracians, Capadocians, Armenians, Persians, Syrians, Arabs, and Judeans, creating one of the greatest military empires of world history. The overwhelming military power of Rome was the …
Legal And Social Perspectives On Robbers In First-Century Judea, John W. Welch
Legal And Social Perspectives On Robbers In First-Century Judea, John W. Welch
BYU Studies Quarterly
Robbers, bandits, zealots, Sicarii, and other groups operating outside of normal legal channels were prominent features on the political landscape in and around the Roman province of Judea in the first century. To an extent, the Jewish insurgents who died at Masada can be viewed as robbers or bandits within the ancient meaning of those terms. Knowing something about the prevailing laws concerning robbery and the typical characteristics of social banditry helps modern people to understand these "outlaws" and to imagine how typical Roman rulers or average Jewish citizens in that day probably viewed both the group of dissidents who …
Coins In The New Testament, Nanci Debloois
Coins In The New Testament, Nanci Debloois
BYU Studies Quarterly
The coins found at Masada—Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Herodian, Roman, Jewish, Tyrian, Nabatean, etc.—testify not only of the changing fortunes of Judea, but also of the variety of coins circulating in that and neighboring countries during this time. Such diversity generates some difficulty in identifying the coins mentioned in the New Testament.
Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, And Latin: Languages Of New Testament Judea, Roger T. Macfarlane
Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, And Latin: Languages Of New Testament Judea, Roger T. Macfarlane
BYU Studies Quarterly
A trilingual inscription placed by Pontius Pilate upon the cross proclaimed "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." This titulus was able to be read by many of the Jews, John says, not only because of Golgatha's proximity to the city, but also because the text was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Pilate's declaration addressed the multilingual population of Jerusalem, both its residents and also its visitors, who were filling the city during the Passover. Weeks later, on the day of Pentecost, Peter and some Apostles addressed Jews, residents of Jerusalem who had gathered from every nation, and …