The Society in Jesus’ Time

THE HISTORICAL JESUS

Focus of Discussion• How would the Country of Jesus be described in terms of

land, people, economy, political and religious cultural?• How the ever-increasing taxation to Rome and Temple affect

to the economic life of the common Jew?• What Social Strata has been developed out of the Economic

System of Palestine?• Why the Wealthy Sector are only few and the Poor and

Outcast became greater in percentage in the population of Palestine?

• In the given social stratification vis-à-vis with the Gospel narrative, what strata of society did Jesus belong?

Geographical: Palestine - the Country of Jesus

Source: http://www.thenazareneway.com/map_of_ancient_palestine.htm

Geography of Palestine • 63 B.C.E., the Roman general, Pompey incorporated Palestine into the Roman

Province of Syria. • 63 -67 B.C.E. saw the definitive establishment of the Roman Power in Palestine.• Jesus was born in Palestine when it was under the rule of the Roman Empire.• Palestine - a small land in the Southwest Asia immediately behind the

Southeastern seaboard of the Mediterranean, • Major Biblical period occurred from Joshua to Herod and on through the

Apostolic Age. Palestine is the late name given to the place known as Israel in the Biblical history which ancient name was Canaan.

• PALESTINE is originally derived from Israel’s enemies, the Philistine, from Hebrew word “PELISTHIM”, meaning, “the land of Philistines.”

• Greeks and Romans named the areas as SYRIA PALESTINA since it belonged to the province of Syria.

Natural Borders of Palestine• Mediterranean or the Great Sea as the Jews referred to it on the

west• The Egyptian Desert on the South, • The Syrian Desert on the east • The mountain area of Hermon on the north. • Size of Palestine as a small region with the total area of almost

10,000 square miles (The New Jerome Bible Handbook ). • 150 miles - The length from Dan to Beersheba • 30 miles - the width from Mediterranean to the Jordan Valley • 50 miles – from the north down to the level of the Dead Sea.

Physical Features of Palestine:• Palestine has valleys, mountains, plains and bodies of water. • The two bodies of water : The first is Lake Genesareth (also called

the Sea of Galilee or Lake Tiberias) and the second is the Dead Sea.• Sea of Galilee has 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.• Capernaum, one of Jesus’ favorite towns, is situated on its shores. • The Dead Sea (also known as the Salt Sea) has 47 miles long and 10

miles wide. • The sea is 1,292 feet below sea level. All deposits of the land found

its home in the depths of this sea. • Some archaeologists believe that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

were submerged under its waters. John the Baptist preached in this area. Jesus walked along its shores.

Jordan River

• There is it’s most important river, the Jordan, flows from the North to South and cuts the country into two. The Jordan is an outlet of the Lake Genesareth and empties into the Dead Sea.

The Climate of Palestine:

• The climate of Palestine varies according to the main natural features of the land: the coast, the mountains, and the Rift of Jordan valley. Basically, there are two seasons Jesus had experienced: the hot, dry summer and cool, wet winter. Summer season brings hot sunny days and cool nights. On days when the desert burning wind (sirocco or Khamsin) sweeps from Arabia, the heat is intense and will cause drought, or “El Niño”.

• When the wind blows from the seacoast reaching cities like Jerusalem, it is very comfortable. The winter is wet, especially during the months of October, November, March and April. The rest eight months of the year is summer season and is remarkably loss of rain in June, July, August and September but there is sufficient water.

The Provinces of Palestine • 1. Judea: (Judaea)

• Judea is the Greaco-Roman equivalent of the Old Kingdom of Judah. It is the southern most part of Palestine. It is known as “the throne of Israel’s one enduring dynasty” and the site of the Jew’s Temple and most of the entire place where their most important prophets spoke. Its area was never more than 2,000 sq. m. The region had three maritime plains and low land. It has important towns, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Bethel, Emmaus and other.

• The naked, stony hill of Judean wilderness are dotted with grazing flocks, even now Judea is still a land of Shepherds. Its slopes are terraced with stone-walled vineyards and olives groves as well as palm gardens. Judea is the center of Jewish civilization after their return from Exile.

• •

• 2. Samaria :• Samaria derived its name from that of the capital city or the geographical

center of Palestine during the olden times. In Jesus’ time, Samaria was one of the political divisions of Palestine which at the will of Herod the Great had partitioned. It was ruled over by Archelaus after Herod’s death. Augustus Caesar made Archelaus as tetrarch of Palestine until he should become worthy of the Royal Title, but the political unrest of the nation deposed Archelaus and Augustus gave Samaria into the custody of the Roman procurator.

• The common Jews avoided Samaria because of its Hellenistic culture, its worldly materialism and its lack of concern for spiritual progress. Jesus used Samaria as footpaths along the Jordan to go from Galilee to Judea. Jesus cut the Gordian knot of dispute between Jews and Samaritans as mentioned in the Gospel.

•

• 3. Galilee: • Galilee is the Province in the northern of Palestine, as Catholic Encyclopedia

described. The land was fertile that is why many villages and town rose up in Galilee. It is called the “Flower Garden of Palestine” and one might apply to it the description from Canticles of Canticles … “a paradise of pomegranates with one fruit of the Orchards, expresses with spike head and saffron.” (4:13-15)

• The people in Galilee were like the earth, rough and uncultured, and less educated in the written law but relied so much on the Oral Law but less rigid in its observance. They are sturdy folks, open and sociable and fundamentally lovers of freedom. For these reasons, Galileans were object of jest in Judea. Additional to it is that they were mocked of their provincial origin and accent. It is in this region that Jesus spent great part of His ministry; He drew almost all of His disciples there and performed great number of miracles.

The Economic System of Palestine• The Economic system of Palestine is best understood when it is

viewed in relation with the international set-up of the invading countries during the time of Jesus. Throughout the various countries around Mediterranean under the domain of the Roman Empire, the economic conditions were identical.

• The majority of the population was objectively poor and made even poorer by the ever-increasing taxes and servitude. The ruling elite, composed of military officers and nobles, was not only extremely rich, but also intolerably abusive. They owned numerous slaves who would do all the work for them. The ruling elite were also the big landowners and the big businessman.

National Economic Situation of Palestine

• Jerusalem was the capital city of Palestine and its temple was the center of the religious and business life of its people and the important residents, the big landlords, tax leaders and retired state officials spent their lives in the city. But how did people survive? How did they live and what was the flow of their economy? Like any other countries in the world, Palestine has resources enough to sustain the living of the people.

Bethsaida

Nazareth

Caesarea

Samaria

JoppaJericho

Jerusalem

HebronGaza

Sea of Galilee

Dead SeaJo

rdan

Riv

er

Mediterranean

NASA PHOTO© EBibleTeacher.com

CaesareaPhilippi

SidonTyre

Capernaum

New Testament Israel

Palestine’s sources of wealth and its distribution

• The sources if wealth are the following:• Agriculture. The country of Jesus was dependent on the products which the land

can give and considered it as the base-level economy. The property was in abstract. This means that land was collectively owned but it was in fact worked by individuals and could be inherited. The land outside the village was communal land. The peasants in the village communities were small landowners and they had to pay a tribute to the state. There was an extensive area of production in the form of large estates (big lands). These were worked either by hired day-workers or by slaves. The stewards or managers quite often organized the work in behalf of the owner who lived in the city or even of a tenant farmer. Wheat and other grains were grown in big lands as well as small lands. Galilee, Samaria and Trans-Jordan were known agricultural areas of Palestine. Most of the big lands were also found in these areas. The methods of cultivation were empirical (wheel-less plows, scythes.) As part of Agriculture, Wood and Fruits are major products of the livelihood. Judea was less favorable to large scale-cultivation and the farmers went in for wine, fruits, olives, vegetables and cereals. Some parts of the area were wooded, hence lumber industry flourished to sore extent.

•

• Fishing. Galilee was noted for its industry. Fishing also took place along the Jordan River. Fish were dried and packed for exports throughout the Roman Empire. The most popular method was the use of large nets of about 500 meters long involving several boats and terms of 6-8 fishermen.

• Animal-raising. Big stock – farm for cattle–raising were located in Galilee and Transjordan. Goat and sheep were raised in Judea. The peasants in the village raised a few animals around their houses, while big stock – farm owners hired shepherds to take care of their vast flocks.

• Construction. The state hired thousands of workers who were employed in construction such as rebuilding of Temple, building of Herod’s palace, monuments, aqueducts and city walls. Workers were also employed as to the wood workers sculptors, goldsmiths and mosaic workers.

•

• Trade. The artisans manufactured wares and products such as clothing (wood, flux); food (cheese and baked products); luxury items and souvenirs, carpentry products; pottery; and tents. Small merchants did the distribution of these goods or the wholesalers transacted grains, gold, silver, metal and slaves. In the rural areas economic transaction was mixed; barter and cash. In the urban areas, business transaction involved cash.

• Temple (Financial Center). The Temple was the economic and financial center of Palestine. Vast of their income was generated from: gifts from Diaspora Jews, taxes assigned by the law (double-drachma), trade in sacrificial victims, fulfillment of vows, deliveries of wood and revenues from real state. Originally, during the time of the Leviticus, the temple tax was intended for the widows, orphans, the poor and the strangers (Lev. 27:30-32). At the time of Jesus, the Temple authorities spent the amount to the following: rebuilding of the Temple, salaries of high priest and Chief Priests and salaries of lower echelons of priests who served as temple staff.

• Roman Taxes. Taxes collected by Roman occupiers were draining off a good deal of Jewish surplus to the profit of Rome. Judea had to pay a quota of 600 talents per year to Rome. This 600 talents of the Roman Empire is equivalent to 6 million dinarii of Palestine. The Romans collected three types of taxes from Palestine, namely: Tribute = a land tax or personal tax, Annona = tax on the yearly produce (taxes to sustain the Roman Garrison) and Public tax = duties and indirect taxes on goods.

Socio-Cultural: The Social Stratification

The Wealthy Sector• The Chief Priests. The Chief Priests were composed primarily of four families (Annas,

Boethus, Phiabi and Kameth) from whom the procurator chooses the High Priest. They shared large incomes that came from the various sacrifices (ex. Animal hides were valuable). They received salaries from the Temple Treasury. They profited from trading and commerce connected with the temple, thus partnerships with merchants and traders. They allocated prime commercial space in the Temple to their relatives. They also owned big lands.

• Big Merchant. They engaged in the wholesale Trading (ex. Grains, slaves, gold and silver). Though they lived in the city, often they also owned large estates in the rural areas.

• • High Officials. They were salaried officials of the state like the big tax collectors.• • Big Landlords. They were the owners of large estates in the agricultural regions of

Palestine. Stewards or managers organized the work in these big lands. The landowners were either from the rich priestly families or the big merchant themselves.

The Middle Sector

• Small Merchants. Most of the artisans sold their own products, thus they were at the same time small merchants themselves. Most of them were engaged in small trading and retail. In the rural areas, they bartered goods. In the urban areas, they used cash.

• • Scribes/Priests/Levites. They were priests in the lower echelons who carried out the

day to day work in the Temple. They received some portions of the tithes for their pay.

• • Artisans. They were self-employed handicraft workers. Most of them dealt with

clothing, food production, and construction (ex. carpentry and smithing job). They were mostly concentrated in urban areas although some artisans were doing simple crafts in the rural areas. Many of the Pharisees were artisans. Examples of the artisans were the potters, water carriers, and makers of ointment, spices and perfumes, makers of luxury items, goldsmith, seal makers, copyists.

•

The Poor Sector• The poor sector composed the large percentage of Jesus’

society. They lived on the brink of poverty. The poor classes were the following:

• Small Peasants. They owned parcels of land that were unprofitable. They paid taxes to the Temple, Romans and Herodian King. They lived on the edge of poverty.

• Shepherds. They tended the flocks of sheep of the big stock-farm owners. They owned a few animals around their houses. They were poor.

• Small Fisherman. Most of the small fishermen were from Galilee. They were engaged in simple fishing methods with the catch being equally shared.

•

• Workers. They were paid one dinarius a day. In the rural areas, they were agricultural workers. In the city, they were employed in the construction. It is estimated that there are 18,000 workers in Jerusalem in 60 A.D.

• Slaves. Slavery in a strict sense did not exist in Judea and Galilee but a form of adventured servitude embraced voluntarily by individuals. Jews who had no means of paying off their debits frequently sold themselves to persons of wealth and paid off what they owned through labor in fields, service households, etc.; and was attractive alternative to life of destitution.

• Beggars. The people who lived off begging. Presence of beggars in a nation indicates economic struggles among the populace. This became a great number in a nation under imperialist rule because the meager income of the poor has been drained off for the increasing taxation.

The Marginalized and Outcast Sector

• The outcasts and marginalized of society were caused by racial discrimination, religious taboos, strict observance of the law and gender issues which they inherited during the clannic period. They are the following:

• Mentally – ill, Lepers, Prostitutes: These people were considered as Transgressors of the Law. They cannot fully observe the Law because of their condition. In one way or the other the y were regarded as “sinners”. This qualification was generally transitory but demonstrated a sanction of religious legalistic type.

• •

• Impure Jews: The illegitimate Jews also fell under this category. The character of legitimacy was assured by purity of race. Thus they were classified as 75% or 50% Jew. Those with strong illegitimacy (impurity) were excluded from all social participation. Most of them were found in Galilee and Samaria.

• • Women, Widows and Orphans: They held subordinate position

in both family and public life. They were subject to the jurisdiction of their husbands and fathers. They had no right to divorcement paper by their husbands. They could not remarry.