Palestine in the time of Jesus

Housing• A woman spreads flax

on the roof to dry.• A man rolls the clay

roof after rain.• Animals and people

share the living space.

• Water is collected in jars from a communal well.

Clothes

The Sanhedrin• The Sanhedrin was the

Jewish religious Council in Jerusalem

• 71 members & meet twice a week in the Temple

• The High Priest (Chairman) of the Council was always a Sadducee

• During occupation the Roman Governor appointed the High Priest.

• Only Sadducees and Pharisees sat on the Sanhedrin

• It was the ultimate authority for Jewish people.

Sadducees• Sadducees were Priests,

aristocrats, powerbrokers. They often came from wealthy families

• They ran the Temple and the Religious ceremonies

• In order to hold onto their positions of wealth and power they cooperated with the Romans, as result they were unpopular with the ordinary people.

• They only accepted the authority of the Torah, that is a strict , narrow observance of law.

• They did not believe that God would send a Messiah.

Pharisees• Pharisees( from the Greek meaning

“separated ones”) .Religious teachers. Popular the people

• The most influential religious group. Very strict, self righteous. Opponents of the Sadducees on the Council.

• While they followed the strict letter of Jewish law they also accepted other Jewish texts and oral interpretations.

• They believed Roman occupation was a punishment of God, therefore if people became more religious and followed the word of God he may well deliver them from occupation by sending the promised Messiah.

Essenes• Small Jewish sect of the time.• The group encouraged adult,

celibate males to live a highly organised, honest and just monastic life.

• They shared possessions. Strictly adhered to Jewish rituals of purity.

• The Essenes believed in “the messiah” prophecy

• Most famous for their accurate records of the period. Most notably the Dead sea scrolls

Scribes

• Scribes were copyists of the scriptures.

• They were sometimes called lawyers because of their intimidate knowledge of the written law.

Zealots• Small active groups

that tried to expel the Romans from Judea.

• Bandits, freedom fighters, terrorists.

• Some of the apostles may have initially been from this group

Roman Occupation