Topic 2: Hebrew Civilization and Christianity 希伯来文明和基督教 Pan Hong 潘红 School of Foreign Languages 外国语学院

1. Topic 2: Hebrew Civilization and Christianity 希伯来文明和基督教 Pan Hong潘红 School of Foreign Languages外国语学院

2. The Hebrews: a Semitic-speaking people, wanderingnomads游牧民族 • Founder of the Hebrews: Abraham from Ur in Mesopotamia Genesis (11:31) • Palestine ---the "land of milk and honey" • this area was first dominated by Canaanites , Philistines • the Hebrews settled in the second area, the central hill country: Galilee, Samaria, Megiddo, Shechem, Judah, Jerusalem...

3. The Israelites and Their Neighbors

4. Historical periods • The Age of the Patriarchs, 1950-1500 BC • Egypt and the Wanderings, 1500-1250 BC • The Occupation of Canaan, 1250-1050 BC • The Monarchy, 1050-920 BC • The Two Kingdoms, 920-597 BC • The Conquest of Israel by the Assyrians • Exile, 597-538 BC • The Rebuilding of the Temple by Cyrus • The Jewish state comes to an end in 70 AD

5. 1250 BC Moses: an exodus---- out of Egypt to the Sinai peninsula • the Decalogue (The 10 Commandments)

6. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. • Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. • Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. • Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. • Honour thy father and thy mother. • Thou shalt not kill • Thou shalt not commit adultery. • Thou shalt not steal. • Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. • Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor hismanservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

7. Significance of these laws and this new cult of Yahweh (influence on the western tradition) • Identity---What began as a "diverse group of peoples" has become one people. • Justice--- the moral obligation the observe the covenant . • Equality---the rich and the poor were to be treated under the same laws, something unheard of in the Code of Hammurabi. • An awareness of historical time--- God's presence is made known. History, then, had a purpose and meaning.

8. In 722BC, the Assyrians conquered Israel, deported the Hebrews, these Israelites disappear from history permanently; they are called "the ten lost tribes of Israel.’ • Exile, 597-538 BC,the Chaldeans deported the Jews after they had conquered Jerusalem. formed their own community in Babylon and retained their religion, practices, and philosophies.

9. The memory of their exile is still evoked in the stirring words of Psalm 137： By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion… How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skills. May my tougue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, If I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. By the Rivers of Babylon: Words and Music: Mark Graham, based on Psalm 137

10. The Persians(Indo-European) conquered Mesopotamia and the whole of the Middle East, Cyrus set out to conquer the entire world, he did so for religious reasons, he believed in Zoroastrianism袄教. • Cyrusallowed the Judaeans to return to their homeland Jeruselam to worshipYahweh in 538 BC • Alexander of Macedon conquered Persia in 332 BC, Palestine became a Greek state. • The Greeks "polis," or "city-state." and the idea of naturalization . In the Hellenistic world, the Jews formed unified and solid communities. • the translation of the Torah into Greek : the Septuagint希腊文《旧约全书》 ---From this Greek translation, the Hebrew view of God, of history, of law, and of the human condition, would spread around the world.

11. Rome captured Jerusalem in 63 B.C. • Divisions and discontent among Jews • Influence of Hellenistic culture • Distrust of temple priests • Obedience of the Law • Pharisees • Groups set up separate communities • Rome breaks up the Jewish kingdom and made Judaea a province of the empire • Rome respected Jewish religion • Heavy Roman taxation and governors corrupt • Revolt in 70 A.D. • Destruction of the Temple • Revolt in 135 A.D. • Jerusalem turned into a Roman city

12. Religion in the Roman Empire Polytheistic---worship a pantheon of gods and godesses万神殿 Mithraism太阳神崇拜 • Religious divisions among the Jews • Greek Philosophical Thought • Influence of Plato’s thought on Christianity • Eternal soul distinct from the body • Doctrine of Ideas • Stoicism

13. The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christianity began as a religious movement within Judaism The Gospels Written by the disciples • The Sermon on the Mount • Jesus presented the ethical concepts: humility, charity, and brotherly love---that would form the basis for the value system of medieval Western civilisation.

14. The teachings of Jesus are unusual for the period of time and appealed to all segments of Roman society. • Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Messanic prophecy. • All humans are created equal. • One should serve his fellow man. • Only God could--and should--avenge wrongs. • Humans should respect earthly law. • Violence of any kind is wrong.

15. Early persecutions of Christians • The Roman government was tolerant of early Christianity since they posed no threat to their government. • opponents came from the Jewish religion. • Christians refused to participate in Emperor Worship and began to be persecuted. • Nero (37-68AD) was the first emperor to persecute the Christian followers on a large scale. • Persecution reached its height during the reign of Diocletian.

16. Jesus is martyred. • Jesus angered the Pharisees by his teachings (Matthew, 23rd chpt). • Charges of heresy were brought against Jesus by the Pharisees during Passover Week. • The Roman Procurator, Pontius Pilate, was pressured by the Pharisees to execute Jesus after the Jewish court (Sanhedrin) refused to try him. • Jesus was crucified by the Romans (C. 30 AD). • He was labeled the "Christos" (Anointed One) after his followers claimed he was resurrected.

17. Constantine 285-337 • the conversion of Constantine to Christianity. --view: the Christian church was a powerful tool for unifying the Empire socially and politically. • the anti-political ideas of Jesus of Nazareth and the Christianity that is compromised to allow for human authority and power. • after defeating Maximim(Roman emperor 306–12) in the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine became ruler of the West; Licinius became ruler of the East.

18. The Edict of Milan米兰赦令 • 313 AD, a proclamation, initiated by Constantine in the West, but agreed to by Licinius in the East, by which Christianity was given legal status.

19. picture Constantine

20. Baptism of Constantine

21. Symbols of the early church develop over many centuries. Symbols were used because Christians often hid from the persecutions of the emperors. The cross was widely used as a Christian symbol until the 5th century. The earliest Christian symbols were the "fish" and the "peacock“(eternal life).

23. symbols • The fish symbol. • Three Fish in a Circle signify that man's salvation comes from the Triune God. • first appearance of a cross in Christian art is on a Vatican sarcophagus from the mid-5th Century. It was a Greek cross with equal-length arms. Jesus' body was not shown. The first crucifixion scenes didn't appear in Christian art until the 7th century. • The Pentagram--widely used by followers of Judaism.

24. Spread of Christianity

25. why did Christianity grow and spread? • The promise of salvation---give life a meaning and purpose beyond the material things of everyday life. • Jesus had been a human figure, not a mythological one. • Christianity emphasized a sense of spiritual equality for all people. • Christianity emphasized Love. l   The church was open to all including men, women, rich, poor, free and slave.

26. The Hebrew contributions to western civilization • Ethical Monotheism • Mosaic Law: the foundation for all western law. • the Old Testament : the most important work of the Ancient world • The Hebrew religion became the foundation for three of the largest religions in the world. • Judaism, the traditional Hebrew religion, began as a war-like religion whose god, "Yahweh" or Jehovah, eventually grew into a loving and caring god. • Christianity uses the Old Testament but believes that Jesus was the Messiah and thus fulfilled the prophecies of the Hebrews. • Islam accepted both the Old and New Testament . ut believed its prophet, Mohammed further fulfilled the will of god.

27. Most Jews share certain beliefs. Among these are: • the unity of God, • God’s concern for humanity • the partnership of God and humanity • the concern that one person should show for another • the belief in a world to come or in the Messiah or in the Messianic Age • the covenant, an agreement between God and the people of Israel expressed through God’s laws for the proper use of the universe.

28. Replacement of polytheism by monotheism • Belief in an eternal, almighty, all-knowing, creator of the universe, infinitely good • An opposing evil power gained dominion over the human race • Belief and obedience would end with a savior to crush the evil power • Humans must accept the one God who would be of help

29. significance of Monotheistic Idea for framing the western world view Monotheism (the Idea of One God) 一神教( YHWH雅赫维) • a unified global order • Optimistic views of the world • The Messianic ideal救世主弥赛亚---a time of unity, peace, justice and prosperity • Equality---profound influence on western values • Eschatology末世论

30. THE WORLD TO COME The biblical prophet Isaiah dreamed of a time, when: The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; … They shall not hurt nor destroy In all my holy mountain; For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.

31. Laws set down by Moses (Mosaic Law) is the foundation for all western law • Hebrew laws are religious laws----ethics set for all people, based on the idea of equality. • the Mosaic Law is Jus cogens绝对法/强制法as contrasted to cause-effect law 因果法in Code of Hammurabi