Crucifixion of Jesus and the origins of Christianity
- Date
- c. 30 CE
- Category
- Religion & ideology
- Region
- Roman Judaea (Jerusalem)
- Era
- Classical Antiquity
- Significance
Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish teacher and healer in Roman Judaea, was crucified in Jerusalem under the prefect Pontius Pilate around 30 CE (some scholars argue for 33 CE), during the festival of Passover.
His followers proclaimed that he had risen from the dead, and the conviction of his resurrection became the founding claim of a new movement within Judaism. Centred on his message of the kingdom of God, repentance, and love of neighbour, the early community in Jerusalem soon expanded across the eastern Mediterranean. Within a few centuries this Jewish messianic sect grew into Christianity, one of the most influential religions in world history, reshaping the culture, politics, art, and ethics of the Roman world and, ultimately, of Europe and far beyond. The crucifixion and the proclamation of the resurrection stand as the originating events of the Christian faith.
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Empires active in c. 30 CE
- Han Dynasty202 BCE – 220 CE
- Roman Empire27 BCE – 476 CE
- Parthian Empire247 BCE – 224 CE
- Xiongnu Confederation209 BCE – 93 CE
- Kan Kingdom (El Mirador)300 BCE – 150 CE
- Zapotec State of Monte Albán500 BCE – 800 CE
Related religion & ideology events
- Council of Jerusalem opens Christianity to the Gentilesc. 49-50 CE
- Roman destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem70 CE
- Codification of the Caste System in the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu)c. 100 CE
- Nagarjuna Founds the Madhyamaka School and Systematises Mahayana Philosophyc. 150 CE
- Buddhism reaches China and the White Horse Temple is foundedc. 67-68 CE (traditional)
- Judah ha-Nasi Codifies the Mishnahc. 200 CE
Further reading
If you read one book
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
Bestselling, accessible account of the historical Jesus.
Get it on Amazon →Also worth reading
- How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee — Amazon →
How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee
Bestselling scholar explains how a crucified preacher came to be worshipped as God.
Get it on Amazon → - Paul: A Biography — Amazon →
Paul: A Biography
Accessible life of the apostle who spread the new faith across the Roman world.
Get it on Amazon →
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