The Origins of Christianity

4.2.1 It All Started with Judaism

The origins of Judaism can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, when Amenhotep IV imposed his monotheistic religious reform and became Akhenaten IV (1352-1335 bc).^[109] The new cult did not survive its creator, but a century later, it very likely inspired the Jews’ famed leader, Moses, who in his younger years had been an Egyptian prince.^[110] However, Judaism was not only a religion, as it featured a political and a legal dimension as well, which is why the famed Torah contains legal aspects in addition to religious ones.

Despite the fact that modern research has concluded that the oldest portion of the Bible, the Pentateuch, was composed by different authors from different periods (Van Seters 2003, 3), the important point for us is that the laws included in the sacred book came to form the basis of Jewish civilization, allowing the Jews to survive as a people for 18 centuries, without a homeland, dispersed throughout the world.

4.2.2 A Provincial Jew Named Jesus, Aka “Christ”

Jesus Christ was a Jew belonging to 1 of the 12 tribes of Israel, although he did not form part of the intellectual elite, neither a Pharisee nor a specialist in the Torah. Nor did he live in the capital of Jerusalem, but in Galilee, i.e., a provincial area.^[113] Nevertheless, possibly after a period spent in the desert surrounding the Dead Sea, in one of the monastic communities—it is speculated that he might have spent time with the Essenes (Broshi 2004)—which studied the Jewish religious tradition,^[114] Jesus decided to spread his version of Judaism. To do so he did not address the learned class of the Pharisees, or the reactionary Sadducees, nor, of course, the chief priests of the Temple of Jerusalem, founded by Solomon, guarantors of the strictest orthodoxy. Rather, he addressed the common people, conveying his teachings using parables which could be understood by all.^{[115] [116]}

The teachings of Jesus Christ, whose essence is captured in the Sermon on the Mount, with its well-known Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7) touched many sympathetic followers, among them a group of fishermen from Lake Tiberius. These men formed the core “apostles”—from the Greek apostolos meaning “sent one”—or “disciples”. Jesus Christ was accepted by them as the Messiah—Christ (anointed one) in Greek—and the new David the Jews had awaited after the decline of the Kingdom of Israel. Thus arose “Christianity” as an interpretation of Judaism spreading the teachings of Christ.^[117]

Jesus Christ’s success, however, worried the Jewish establishment.

4.2.3 Had It Not Been for St. Paul

The death of Jesus Christ would have marked the end of Christianity had it not been for Paul of Tarsus (St. Paul). The disciples, uneducated people without social influence and frightened by the stance of the Jews towards them, fell silent after Christ’s death, not daring to spread his teachings. In fact, the Scriptures state that, on the night of his trial, Peter denied being a follower of Jesus three times.

Ironically, it was an enemy of the Christians who would assure the new religion’s triumph: Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, who in his youth had been one of the most zealous persecutors of the new “sect”.^{[119] [120]} However, Saul suddenly converted to Christianity (The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 9)12 and, to the dismay of his former allies, decided to spread the teachings of Christ among non-Jews (“Gentiles”.)^[121] This was crucial because, as, Ehrman (2008, 103) has observed, of the 60 million people living in the Roman Empire of his time, only around 7 % were Jews. To this end Paul organized and paid visits to various communities of Christians, and later sent them letters: the famous Epistles of St. Paul.^[122] Coming from a lettered person and a former Pharisee,^[123] Paul’s writings had an enormous impact. Thanks to the “apostle of the Gentiles” Christianity spread rapidly among non-Jews, the vast majority of the Empire’s inhabitants.^[124] Had it not been for Paul, Christianity would not have become one of history’s major religions.^[125]

It is worthy of note that Paul, despite being of Jewish origin and educated as a Pharisee, was quite exceptional in the fact that he was legally a Roman citizen. It was this that bolstered his influence amongst the Gentiles. In fact, when he was arrested as a subversive by the Roman authorities, he appealed to Rome, as was his right, and was, therefore, not crucified like St. Peter, but beheaded by order of Nero in 67 ad.^[126]

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