The success of the Roman Empire was rooted in the attributes of Roman state, including the father-family, agriculture, condensation of population in cities, private property, slavery, conquest, definite territory with roads, and personal, strong rulers. [1] The Roman Empire encompassed a diverse population from every corner of the Eastern Hemisphere, inspiring Jesus to embark on his journey among them. [2]
The collapse of the Roman Empire was caused by rapid expansion coupled with internal decay, leading to moral decline, racial deterioration, and societal disintegration. [3]
The Roman Empire's political genius for empire administration combined with a monotheistic religion from the East ensured its enduring power and influence. [4] Jews believed their survival as a kingdom was tied to Roman policies, fearing revolt would be suicidal. [5]
The destruction of Jerusalem by Roman armies marked the shift from the idea of the kingdom to the cult of eternal life within the burgeoning Christian church. [6]
Pilate's mistakes in governing Judea allowed the Jews to manipulate him due to his fear and lack of understanding, ultimately leading to disastrous consequences. [7] Roman policy in the Levant maintained the survival of semi-independent Palestine as a strategic buffer in the struggle for regional dominance. [8]
Rome's imperial universalism transcended nationalism, allowing diverse races and nations to nominally embrace a single religion for the first time in history. [9] The Roman Empire had recently won wars with Parthia, leading to prosperity in Palestine and Syria during the time of Jesus. [10]
Carrying water around the corpse was a Roman practice believed to ward off ghosts and provide protection. [11]
The Romans, following their practice of throwing a stone into the air when invoking Jupiter, were not alone in their veneration of stones, as many ancient clans and tribes also held sacred stones. [12] In three hundred years, common followers of Jesus overturned the Roman Empire with his teachings. [13]
The Roman Empire was conquered politically but was in turn conquered by the cults and god concepts of Egypt, Greece, and the Levant, which continued to flourish up to the time of Augustus. [14]
The Roman Empire's emperor worship, originating with Augustus, led to the establishment of a new religion with the emperor as the supreme god, a practice observed empire-wide except in Palestine, home of the Jews. [15] The Romans fought Christianity at first, while the Greeks embraced it and ultimately influenced the Romans to accept the new religion. [16]
Roman influence on Christianity was facilitated by the Romans' tolerance for diverse religions and cultures, paving the way for the spread of the new faith. [17]
The Roman Empire's state religion mainly consisted of observances of forms, vows, and taboos, influenced by the Etruscan priesthood and their galaxy of gods. [18]
The Roman Empire's political observance evolved from tribal reverence for the god of war, lacking a true religion with a personal deity like the Greeks and Brahmans. [19] The Roman Empire, intellectual and war-weary, found itself receptive to Christian teachings amidst a skeptical and tradition-bound society. [20] The Roman Empire, spiritually unsatisfied in times of Jesus, found unity through the adoption of Christianity and the acceptance of empire. [21] Jesus came to a world experiencing a revival of spiritual thinking and religious living, facilitated by the tolerant rule of the Roman Empire. [22]
Roman religion was greatly influenced by the extensive cultural importations from Greece, absorbing most of the Olympian gods into the Latin pantheon and later adopting Christ as its moral philosophy. [23]
The Roman Empire worshipped triad gods, a concept originating from natural associations in human experience and appearing in various religions before the revelation of the Paradise Trinity. [24]
The Roman Empire in the first century after Christ had five distinct social strata, with little widespread social discontent. [25]
The conditions in 2nd century A.D. were ideal for the spread of a new religion in the Roman Empire, yet despite the acceptance of Christianity, the empire still faced challenges leading to its eventual collapse. [26] The Greeks and Romans favored monogamous marriage, influenced by ancestor worship, Christian beliefs, and societal standards. [27] Half of the population in the Roman Empire were slaves, with many rising to high positions despite starting as inferiors. [28] The Roman Empire wasted half the year on cult ceremonies, with twelve ghost feasts and numerous accompanying rituals annually. [29] Jews scattered throughout the Roman world became cultural centers for the spread of Christianity. [30] The Roman Empire's lax divorce practices contrasted with Jesus' emphasis on the sanctity of family relationships. [31]
The Roman Empire in the first century AD was characterized by the absence of widespread social problems, with a content populace who accepted their social rank and had the opportunity for upward mobility, as Christianity was not seen as an economic movement to address class disparities. [32] The Romans contrasted with Greeks and Jews in their requirement for a life of loving service for all mankind, as instructed by Jesus. [33]
The Romans, with their unparalleled honesty, devotion, and stalwart self-control, governed themselves and embraced Christianity as their moral philosophy, being spiritually devoted to an institutional church just as they were politically devoted to the state, as their lawyer-nature and training prepared them to discern the laws of God within the laws of nature. [34]
The Romans demanded loyalty, but Jesus instructed his disciples to lead through loving service. [35] Christianity filled a void in Rome by offering a concept of unselfishness that was previously missing. [36]
The strengths and weaknesses of the Roman Empire centered around its successful state built on the family, agriculture, cities, conquest, and personal rulers, with a great weakness found in their liberal provisions for emancipation that led to rapid internal degeneration and eventual collapse. [37]
See also: UB 98:3.