The Empire, the Land, and the Exodus: A Study of How the Roman Empire Literally Shaped Christianity: 1 C.E. - 280 C.E.
Date
2012-12-13Author
Wilfong, Chelsea J.
Advisor(s)
Waters, Matthew W.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This paper explores the factors and trends involved in the movement of Christian communities from Palestine into Asia Minor and regions west of the Aegean Sea. Because the first generation of Christians generally continued to identify themselves as Jewish, this paper looks into the factors that affected the Jewish community with the perspective that a large portion of the early Christians were still members of the Jewish community. Roman land control policies, taxation, and continuous loss and division of land all but pushed many Jews out of the region while the peace of Augustus led many more to depart more voluntarily. It was the culmination of all these factors that led to Jewish emigration from the Palestinian region. The paper will begin with a brief history of the birth of Christianity and the Jewish-Roman relationship in Palestine, followed by a discussion of factors that led to emigration from Palestine, and then end with an analysis of the locations of the Christian communities.
Subject
Jewish diaspora
Romans--Relations with Jews
Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
Church and state--Rome--History
Jewish Christians--History--Early church, ca. 30-600
Jews--Rome--History
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/64831Type
Thesis