By Cyril Anderson

Part 3 of 4

 Rome was, at that time, the world’s greatest superpower, a “prosperous” empire, but, paradoxically, it was also, beneath the shiny surface, beneath the false pomp of Imperial Rome, extremely weak, tottering through internal decay.  While the powerful and wealthy within Rome thrived, the vast majority languished in poverty and unemployment in the midst of economic decay, dependent on the handouts of bread from the state and wasting their waking hours in the sadistic and depraved entertainment of the “circuses” at the Coliseum, where human lives were lightly and callously wasted in “the games.”  It was a system that made an utter mockery of the creative potential of the human being, a mockery of his mercy, his compassion, his intelligence, and his reason, reducing even the wealthy to the level of animals as they preyed on the weak in a feast of human misery.  And by extension, this mockery was a mockery also of the God who created humans “in His own image,” with the vast potential of creativity, reason, mercy, and compassion that was being squandered.  Ironically, this oppression that Rome exerted on its people to control and keep the empire secure was the biggest threat to Rome, the threat that likely did the most to bring it down.  By destroying the creative spirit and intelligence that are the source of strength and growth in a civilization, Rome sowed the seeds of its own disintegration.  The late years of the Roman Empire were highlighted by depraved and sadistic leaders corrupted by hedonism and debauchery.  Leaders like Caligula and Nero are infamous in the annals of history as examples of some of the worst leaders the world has seen.  Nero is most famous for setting Rome on fire, singing while it burned.  He later blamed the fire on Christians, who he fed to lions for his entertainment.  Rome was a stain on the pages of history, another proof of the eternal Qu’ranic and Biblical teaching that those civilizations which transgress the proper balance and descend into oppression will ultimately fall, the fate of all empires as a law of nature.  St. Augustine, in the early chapters of his classic City of God, written shortly after the fall of Rome in 431 CE, explained the fall of Rome as a consequence of its depravity.

Into this sort of world stepped Jesus (as).  Jesus (as) was born in Judea, a frontier province of the Roman Empire.  The situation in Judea was turbulent, to say the least.  The Roman occupation had a significant presence, with Roman legions stationed in major cities.  Outbursts of sporadic violence were a part of life, with raids led by several groups of Jewish anti-Roman militants including the “zealots” and the “sicarii.”  The zealots in particular, were known for leading “hit and run” attacks against Roman soldiers and those perceived as collaborators with the Romans in the interest of freeing Judea from Roman influence.  It is an interesting fact that the Gospels, the texts considered most authentic by Christians as to the words and life of Jesus, record that at least two of Jesus’ twelve closest disciples, Simon “Zealot” and Judas Iscariot were at least former members of such organizations.  Jesus is reported in the Gospels as having once called Simon “’Peter’; for you are the rock upon which I will build my church.” Romans meanwhile cracked down on those who threatened their rule with Roman “justice” – often through crucifixion.

 The Jewish leadership, from the historical record, were largely powerless, kept to doing Rome’s bidding.  The leadership, on the whole, avoided conflict with the Roman authorities.  In some cases this was to avoid harm to the people and prevent life from getting even harder; for others, it was a matter of collaboration to maximize personal benefit. 

Judea also was site of a ferment of different Jewish religious movements, aside from the revolutionary political groups mentioned above, who also based their movements on a religious basis.  Two main groups were the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  The Sadducees centred largely around the temple, and had connections to the Jewish aristocracy and the Hellenic culture with which they were associated.  Little is said regarding the Sadducees in the Christian Gospels, but it is clear from their questioning of Jesus (as) that they did not believe in the concept of the resurrection after death.   The Pharisees, on the other hand, existed more apart from the established power structure.  They tended to see the Greek Hellenic culture that surrounded as a threat to Jewish identity and so pursued an active course of separateness and distinctness from these outside influences, and from non-Jews themselves.  They maintained a presence amongst the people teaching and preaching outside of the established networks, and had a populist following, as opposed to the Sadducees, who were held in contempt by many of the common people for their ties to the ruling powers, and to the wealthier and more Hellenised elements of the community.  Jesus (as) is recorded in the Gospels as having rebuked both groups, with much attention being given to his verbal sparring with the Pharisees in regards to their hypocritical obsession with external practice to the neglect of the development of internal spirituality.

He saw them as pursuing the external shell of the religion while neglecting the spiritual core.  Also active in Judea at the time was the Essene sect, whose followers practised a more ascetic version of the religion, keeping to a simple life and living communally.  It is thought that the community of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, were Essenes of some sort.  Some have suggested that some aspects of the accounts of the structure of the religious community following Jesus found in the Gospels show Essene influences.

Into the midst of all this turmoil came Jesus (as), teaching a message that upset just about everyone but the common people, who followed him in droves.  He taught a moderate path and emphasized the inner dimensions of spirituality, enlightening as to the spirit of the law that gives the letter of the law meaning.  In a sense, he renewed the covenant of his people with God, teaching people how to renew their bond with their creator to strengthen their faith.  This notion of spiritual renewal and rebirth was captured in the ritual of baptism practiced by Jesus (as) and John the Baptist (as), as well as in Jesus’ (as) teaching that One could not enter heaven unless he was “born from above.”  That is, although all people are born physically, many in a sense over time become empty and dead spiritually, and need to be reborn in terms of re-awakening their inner connection with their creator, because it is this vital, living link with the creator which is the basis of genuine living religion.  He taught of the Mercy and Love of God towards human beings, and the openness of God to forgiving those who turn back to Him in repentance.  The intended audience for his message, according to both Christians and Muslims, was twofold: there was a specific message of reform for his Jewish brethren, a bringing back of “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” and also, a more broad global message intended for all mankind, a carrying of the message of monotheism to the greater world beyond.

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