BIB-360 Topic 2
The World of Jesus’s Day
Answer the questions below. Be succinct, yet thorough, and make sure to pay attention to the word count for each response. Further, in addition to the course readings (textbook and Bible), use and cite three other sources that deal with the period of history leading up to Jesus’s coming. Be sure to include a reference list of your resources.
1. Describe the importance of the historicity of the biblical texts when interpreting the Gospels and Acts. Give some attention to their literary features and to the influences of source, form, and redaction criticism. How does one’s view of the historical reliability of the Gospels and Acts affect one’s interpretation of these texts? (250-300 words)
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2. What was the Roman Empire like in 1st century AD? Address the following categories in your answer.
a) What was a typical Greco-Roman city like? (125-150 words)
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b) What were the various levels of Roman administrative structure? (125-150 words)
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c) Where did the local authority reside in the cities/villages of 1st-century Palestine? (125-150 words)
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d) Where do we find evidence for these structures of Roman and Jewish authority in the Gospels and Acts? (125-150 words)
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3. What was Judaism like in 1st century AD?
a) What was the purpose of the synagogue? (100-150words)
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b) Describe the major sects of Judaism in Jesus’s day (Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Essenes). What were their characteristic beliefs and values? (150-200 words)
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c) Additionally, describe these various sects’ expectations regarding the coming of the Messiah. For what type of Messiah were they hoping? (Include citations from the Second Temple literature here.) (150-200 words)
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