by Anthony Bellante

Created on: June 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 02, 2009

History and origins of Christianity

The first Christians were part of one of the many sects of the Jewish faith. There was much strife among the sects vying for power to control the Sanhedrin. (The Sanhedrin was the seat of the Jewish government.) The one thing all these sects had in common was they where all looking for the promised Messiah foretold in their prophecy.

When the Messiah did come, He was not what most was expecting. They were expecting a war like Messiah to put all the gentile nations under his foot and free the Israelites from Rome rule. Rome and Judaism ideally opposite each other.

Rome allowed all religions as long as the religion did not interfere with Rome's rule over the nation. Caesar was equal to a god. A religion could have as many gods and goddesses as they desired. Their gods and goddesses represented human nature and the physical world around them. Their philosophy, sociology and psychology developed from the idea of many gods and goddesses.

The Jewish religion had one deity. Their God created human nature and the physical world around them. Their philosophy, sociology, and psychology developed from the idea of one God the creator.

Judaism was at odds with Rome and they were at turmoil with themselves. A new sect was gaining prominence. Daily thousands of Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah. The leaders of the Sanhedrin (contrary to popular belief the number of Jews wanting Jesus executed was about 500) planed to turn Jesus in to the Roman Governor and have him executed and that would put an end to this so called Messiah. After the execution, the sect of Jesus' followers continued to grow. The Sanhedrin began to persecute the followers of Jesus.

One day one of the persecutors had a miracle happen to him, his name Paul. The Messiah contacted Paul to take the good news of the Messiah to the gentiles. Paul was a Jew of Jews; he was the epitome of Judaism. The Messiah had chosen his emissary well. Paul was faithful and well knowledgeable in the Tanakh (Old Testament). He reached out to the gentiles with the knowledge of the Messiah. Paul taught them from the teachings of Tanakh and about Jewish philosophical, sociological, and psychological idea of their God the creator. The gentiles were coined Christians because the name for Messiah in Greek is Christos.

In 66 C.E., a group of Sicarii (Jewish Zealots) took Masada by deceit, and killed the Roman garrison there. For four years, there was fighting and rebellion against the

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