Latest Resources

Class and Rank in the Roman Empire
In ancient Rome, social class was everything. It determined a person’s rights, privileges and opportunities. The Roman Empire had a class structure based on wealth, birth, and citizenship. At the very top of Roman society was the emperor, who was considered the empire's “first citizen.” Some emperors even declared themselves to be equal with the gods. Below the emperor were…
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Local Governments
The Roman Empire used local rulers to maintain order in the regions they conquered. Find out who these leaders were and what authority they had. Roman policy was to respect local customs and the laws of the peoples they ruled. They let local people form councils to control local affairs. These councils usually included the wealthy and powerful people in…
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Martyrdom
The Greek word for martyr means “witness.” In the New Testament martyrs were individuals were those who bore witness to the life, death and work of Jesus. Two words, “martyr” and “witness,” are translated from the same Greek word, martys. The earliest meaning for the word is probably “witness.” In the Bible, a witness is one who tells about what…
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The World in the New Testament, Around A.D. 50
Within 100 years of Jesus’ death, Christianity had spread throughout the Middle East into Africa and northern Europe. Check out this map of the world influenced by early Christianity.
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Essenes
Perfection. The Essenes would settle for nothing less. See what role this disciplined and secluded sect of Judaism played in the New Testament world. The Essenes may have been formed as a group at about the same time as the Sadducees. Instead of trying to influence the priesthood and religion of Israel from the inside, they withdrew from Jewish society,…
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