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The First Millenium

And now it's 35 AD!

Things are quiet in Rome. Pliny the Elder, the great military leader, scientist, and geographer arrives in Rome.

The Parthians, who are semi-controlled by the Romans, revolt against their king and ask Tiberius to give them a better one. He sends Tiridates III, a Parthian hostage who had been raised at Rome. The Parthians don't like him, either, and they revolt, expelling him after one year.

Saul of Tarsus, a vehement enemy of Christianity, converts.
 
Thank you, Vic. And now, on to 36 AD!

It's a bad year for the local rulers.

The Samaritans had a religion similar to that of the Jews. A messiah showed up, claiming that he would recover the missing articles of the Temple, including the Ark of the Covenant, from Mount Gerizim in Samaria. Hearing that they were armed, Pontius Pilate took an army of 1,000 men and rushed to the scene.
Pilate moved quickly and decisively, tearing into the Samaritans, and executing their leaders. Unfortunately, it had been a peaceful assembly, and only a few of the Samaritans were armed. The Samaritans complained, and Pilate was ordered to report in person to Tiberius to explain his actions.

Herod Antipas, king of Galilee and Perea, but subservient to Rome, had ordered the execution of John the Baptist, and had returned Jesus to Pilate after finding no guilt in Him. Warned that Herod was plotting to kill Him, Jesus referred to him as a "fox." Herod got into a war with the Nabateans, who were upset because he had divorced the king's daughter in order to marry his own brother's wife. On the battlefield, Herod got beaten so badly that he appealed to Tiberius for help. Tiberius ordered the governor of Syria to send troops in.
 
If you thought that 36 was a bad year for rulers, wait until you read what happens to them in 37.

The aging Tiberius had declared that after his death, his grandson and great-nephew Caligula would share the leadership with Gemellus. Macro had been friends with Caligula, and when Tiberius became ill, he considered changing his will. Being a loyal man, Macro smothered him with a pillow. Moving fast, Caligula executed Gemellus and became Emperor.

Surprisingly, Caligula was a good Emperor for his first two years. He quickly appointed Marcellus to oversee Judea, under the authority of the governor of Syria.

Pontius Pilate arrived in Rome and learned that he had been replaced, and that his replacement had already left. He then disappears from history. A variety of legends arose centuries later, but it would have been unusual for any Roman governor to have been punished with anything except removal from office.

More people can identify Pontius Pilate than any other Roman in history. And more people can identify the author of this quote, than of any other Roman quote: "Take him and crucify him yourselves, for I find in him no fault at all."

Learning of Tiberius' death, the governor of Syria withdraws his troops from supporting Herod Antipas.

Antioch, in modern-day Turkey, becomes a center of Gentile Christianity, and here the disciples are first called "Christians." From this community the Syriac Orthodox Church eventually develops, founded by the Apostle Peter, and older than the Catholic Church. A powerful influence for the first few centuries, it became steadily more corrupted by tradition and is a shadow of its former greatness.

Nero, the future Emperor, and Josephus, the great Jewish historian, are born.
 
Welcome to 38 AD!

The Emperor Caligula replaces Marcellus, the overseer of Judea, with Marullus. Neither man is significant, indicating that they merely kept the peace and collected taxes. The Romans probably regarded the Christians as a Jewish sect which was weakening the Jews by dividing them.

Meanwhile, the Emperor's uncle, Claudius, marries Messalina. Claudius is a brilliant scholar and thinker, but he stutters, so no one takes him seriously. This will later help him survive when Caligula turns evil.

Anti-Jewish riots break out in Alexandria, and a delegation of Egyptians arrives in Rome to complain about the Jews.

Not trusting Macro, Caligula removed him from the leadership of the Praetorian Guard. Shortly afterwards, Macro and his wife commit suicide, possibly while in prison.

Stachys, a friend of the Apostles Andrew and Paul, becomes bishop of Byzantium. Early Christians rarely had church buildings. They met in a variety of houses, scattered over a city, but were considered to be one church. The bishop was the pastor of that one church. Later, the Catholic Church would corrupt the office, making a bishop the ruler of a geographical area who enforced the Church's authority.
 
39 A.D.

Herod Antipas's sins start catching up with him. He had executed John the Baptist and sent Jesus back to Pilate. He had been badly beaten in a war that he had provoked, and the governor of Syria had abandoned him. Now, his nephew, Herod Agrippa, accuses him of plotting against the Emperor Caligula. When it turns out that Antipas had enough weapons stored up for a 70,000 man army, he is exiled to France, where he eventually dies. His evil wife Herodias, who had instructed her daughter from a previous marriage to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, chooses to go with him and dies in exile as well. His nephew is rewarded with the territories that Antipas had ruled over. The fact that Jesus used the feminine form when calling Antipas a "fox" suggests that he was effeminate.

Meanwhile, Caligula is starting to lose his mind. He orders an invasion of Germany, and the troops never get there, but he orders a parade in his own honor for the victory. He then orders the governor of Syria to put up a statue of Caligula in the Temple of Jerusalem, an act that would certainly have produced a bloody revolt. The governor stalls, taking advantage of poor communications to keep from putting up the statue.

Philo leads a Jewish delegation from Alexandria to tell their side of the story.
 
It's now 40 A.D.

Caligula invades Britain and is defeated, but declares himself victorious. He declares himself to be a god and orders that the heads of all the gods be sawn off their statues and replaced with his own likeness. He appoints his horse to the Senate.

And Caligula does something even more insane. He starts taunting Cassius Chaerea, a Roman centurion who now serves in his Praetorian Guard. Caligula often taunts the man publicly, a dangerous thing to do to a centurion.

He annexes Austria and part of northern Africa into the Empire.

Mark (author of the Gospel) establishes a church in Alexandria, from which the Coptic Orthodox Church emerges. They recognize Mark as their first pope. There are between ten and fifteen million Coptic Orthodox today. They teach that Theophilus, to whom Luke and Acts were written, was one of their members.

Paul visits Jerusalem, consults with Peter, and then begins his missionary travels.

Christians erect a church building in Corinth. Normally, Christians met in houses and public places.
 
Welcome to 42 AD.

Remember Cassius Chaerea, the Roman centurion that Caligula kept insulting? He insulted him one time too many, and, with the support of various senators, Cassius Chaerea stabbed the Emperor to death. The Praetorian guard declared Claudius, the uncle of Caligula, the new Emperor. After some political maneuvering, Claudius had the assassins executed. Chosen because he was considered a weakling, Claudius surprised everybody, including himself, by becoming one of history's greatest rulers.

Herod Agrippa had been in Rome during all this, and he had helped get Claudius declared Emperor. As a reward, he was promoted from tetrarch to King of Judea and Samaria. He is the "King Herod" referred to in the Book of Acts. He persuades Claudius to restore freedom to the Jews throughout the Empire, although the Emperor keeps some restrictions on the Jews in Rome.

The disciples are first called "Christians" in Antioch. Although we often teach that you are not a Christian unless you are born again, not all disciples are born again. Also, the Bible never ascribes the term "Christian" to carnal Christians. The word means "little Christs," and refers to people who imitate Christ.

Germans launch an invasion across the Rhine River, but are defeated by the Romans.
 
43 A.D.

Julius Caesar had subdued Britain eighty years ago, producing client states who paid tribute to Rome. But the various kingdoms revolted, and Claudius spent 40,000 troops to invade. They conquered southern Britain in the first year. With victory in sight, Claudius personally assumed command, bringing war elephants and heavy equipment, and eleven kingdoms surrendered without a fight. He returned to Rome as a hero, while his troops continued the war.

The city of London is founded.

Claudius annexes Lycia, on Turkey's southern coast. The Roman Empire now completely encircles the Mediterranean Sea.

In Asia, the Huns engage in a great civil war. Possibly originating in Mongolia and Turkey, it will take them four centuries to expand into the Roman Empire itself.

The Apostle Paul travels through Asia Minor, writing his first epistles.
 
And now it's 44 AD.

It's a rough year for Herod Agrippa. He executes James, the brother of John (who wrote the Gospel). He arrests Peter, and then executes the guards when Peter disappears from his cell. He then makes an impressive speech to a delegation from Tyre and SIdon, but filled with pride, he is struck by an angel and dies a painful death. The Emperor Claudius now puts Judea under Roman governors.

The first governor is Cuspius Fadus, a calvary officer. He is the first governor to rule over both Judea and Galilee. He does an impressive job killing bandits, and suppresses a minor rebellion. He demanded that the sacred vestments of the high priest be kept in Roman custody, but Claudius over-ruled him.
 
And now for the latest news from 45 A.D.

The Emperor Claudius expels the Jews from Rome. They had been proseletizing, too many Jews had emigrated there, and they were causing problems with the Christians. Claudius might have been following a policy of letting the Christians grow in the hopes that they would further divide the Jews.

Roman troops in southern Britain successfully move westward and northward, using established towns as administrative centers for the newly-conquered areas.
 
Welcome to 46 A.D.

A census shows that there are more than 6 million Roman citizens.

The king of Thracia dies, and, according to his wishes, the kingdom voluntarily becomes a Roman province.

A famine in Mongolia leads to a revolt by the subjugated tribes.

Messalina, the evil wife of Claudius, grows in power. She uses corruption, bribery, and her own promiscuity to advance herself. Letting her do as she pleases, Claudius continues a variety of successful construction programs.
 
It's already 47 A.D.

It's a year of fatal mistakes. Tiberius Julius Alexander, the new procurator of Judea and Galilee, is a tough, no-nonsense Jew who has repudiated his religion. Two sons of Judas of Galilee, who had led a revolt in 6 AD, give him some problems, so he crucifies them. Problem solved. He gets promoted next year, and later serves as second-in-command of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Messalina, Claudius's wife, begins an affair with a senator, forcing him to divorce his own wife. She has been killing off rivals to her son Britannicus, and she fears Claudius's niece, Agrippina the Younger, and her son Nero. She has Claudius's favorite prostitute murdered. At a party, possibly drunk, she marries the senator and declares herself ruler of the Empire. No one takes her seriously, but Claudius hears about it.

Famine breaks out in the Empire, and Gentile Christians send relief to Jewish Christians. Claudius improves a major harbor to increase wheat shipments, gives bonuses and incentives to sailors courageous enough to import food during the bad weather, and repeals taxes on food so poor people can afford to buy some.

Ananias is appointed High Priest. Friendly to the Romans, he will later preside over the trial of the Apostle Paul. He treats his fellow Jews so brutally that he is later arrested, but Claudius lets him go. Eventually, the Jews beat him to death.
 
Welcome aboard, The Catholic. It's about time somebody besides me posted on this thread.

And now it's 48 A.D.

Nothing else is known about Ventidius Cumanus, whom Claudius appoints governor of Judea and Galilee. His troops keep harassing the Jews, violence breaks out between the Jews and the Samaritans, and eventually he is fired for incompetence.

The Emperor Claudius makes Herod Agrippa II superintendent of the Temple of Jerusalem, with authority to appoint the High Priest. He wins more rights for the Jews, but is absolutely loyal to Rome.

It's a bad year for Messalina. Spies inform Claudius that she and her senator boyfriend are plotting to kill him. Claudius really did love her. He was a shrewd man, but was often a weakling. He had executed a few dozen people for conspiring to kill him, and probably most of them were guilty. But there were always conspiracies going on. Reluctantly, the Emperor orders both of them executed.

Since their son Britannicus is too young to become Emperor, Claudius marries his niece Agrippina the Younger. Why? Her son Nero is a direct descendant of Caesar Augustus, a brilliant young man, and apparently a good future Emperor. Claudius adopts him and make him equal to Britannicus.

Claudius admits French nobles to the Senate and grants citizenship to parts of France. Centuries later, France, not Italy, will be the greatest strength of the crumbling Roman Empire.

Christian leaders assemble at Jerusalem and agree that Christians do not have to obey the Law of Moses. Why did the Romans regard the early Christians as a Jewish sect? Because they were. They met in synagogues and in the Temple, as well as in private homes. They kept the Jewish dietary laws and feasts. Over time, beginning in the Book of Acts, God separated them from a religion that had rejected Christ.
 
49 A.D.

Agrippina the younger, Claudius's niece as well as his new wife, prepares for her son Nero to seize the throne. She gets him engaged to Claudius's daughter and has her former fiancee executed. She gets the famous philosopher Seneca the Younger as Nero's tutor. Seneca later becomes Nero's advsior, but Nero eventually executes him.

Christianity has spread so heavily into the city of Rome that Claudius expels Christian Jews from the city.

The Greek boxer Melankomas wins the Olympic championship. His unique style had him dodging punches while rarely punching himself, and he is regarded by some as the greatest boxer of the first millenium.

The Apostle Paul arrives in Philippi, a city in north-eastern Greece, beginning his ministry in Europe. Without enough Jews to have a synagogue, the city rapidly acquires a large Christian community, despite Paul's being forced to leave by the city government.
 
Welcome to 50 AD!

Claudius promotes his friend Herod Agrippa II to governor of a military town in Greece.

Roman Britain begins a full-scale invasion of Wales.

A Roman soldier in Judea steals a copy of the Torah and burns it. The Roman governor has him beheaded, which calms down the Jews.

The population of the city of Rome reaches 1 million. Fortunately, the use of soap in Rome appears at the same time.

The Kushan Empire is founded. Centered in northern Afghanistan, it spreads rapidly into India and the former Soviet Union. However, it never threatens Rome, which, a century later, opens diplomatic and trade contacts.

Hero of Alexander invents the steam engine. It doesn't do anything except spin, but it is one of the greatest inventions of history.
 
It's 51 A.D. now.

Caratacus, whose revolt had prompted the Roman invasion of Britain, suffers a major defeat in central Wales. Later, taken in chains to Rome, he addresses the Senate. Led in chains through the streets in a parade, before being executed, his courageous demeanor impresses Claudius enough that he issues a pardon.

Paul writes the Epistle to the Galatians, clearly teaching that Christians are not to be a part of the Jewish religion.

Jewish pilgrims on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem are murdered while passing through Samaria. Governor Cumanus ignores Jewish complaints, prompting the Zealots to raise a small army that attacks several Samaritan villages. A Roman army defeats the Zealots, and their surviving leaders are later crucified.

"When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat" (Acts 18:11-12). But Gallio releases Paul without even listening to his defense. An ancient inscription describes Gallio as being a friend of Claudius Caesar. His refusal to judge Jewish Law, and his refusal to get involved in the dispute between Jews and Christians suggests that he was following a Roman policy of letting Christianity grow in order to weaken Judaism.
 
52 A.D.

Rome bans the execution of old and crippled slaves.

Ananias the High Priest is arrested and sent to Rome for trial by Claudius. Accused of excessive violence, of which he is guilty, he is released by Claudius.

Felix, a first-rate crook, is appointed procurator of Judea.

The Welsh deal Rome a major defeat. The new governor consolidates Rome's gains but gives up further expansion. He quells several rebellions, builds roads and forts, and stabilizes the situation.

The Apostle Thomas wasn't really a doubter. None of the other Apostles believed that Jesus had risen from the dead until they saw Him, either. He was the only Apostle known to have left the Roman Empire, arriving in India about 52 AD. Sorting through 2nd and 3rd century history, traditions, and myths, and synchronizing the dates and rulers, it appears that Thomas converted Gondophares, a powerful king in northern India. Later, several Christian tribes from that area would report that their ancestors had been converted by Thomas.


The Mar Thoma Church (Church of Thomas) has about 1 million members, mostly in southern India, and is affiliated with the Anglican Church. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, with about 4 millon members, is part of the Catholic Church, and is under the authority of the Pope at Rome. (Not all Catholics are Roman Catholics). The Indian Orthodox Church is spread heavily throughout India, with about 2 million members. All three correctly claim that they were founded by Thomas and/or developed from churches founded by Thomas.

With half a million members, the Assyrian Church of the East emerged from churches that Thomas and two other early missionaries established to the east of India.
 
And now it's 53 A.D.

Claudius announces that Nero will be his successor, rather than Claudius's son Britannicus. Nero marries Octavia, the daughter of Claudius.

Evodius becomes bishop of the church at Antioch, replacing the Apostle Peter. Little is known about him, other than that he was converted under the ministry of the Apostle Peter. Antioch had become a center of Gentile Christianity in the Book of Acts.
 
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