Jesus was probably born about 5 B.C.E., although the exact date is not known. Matthew and Luke tell of his birth in Bethlehem, which was the town of David, Israel’s most famous king. Jesus’ mother was Mary, who was married to a carpenter named Joseph. Jesus spent his youth in the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
In the early first century, Galilee was part of the Roman EmpireThe region we today call Palestine and Israel was under Roman rule during the time of Jesus and the early church. The Roman Empire was in its ascendancy during the first century, making it the most powerful political and military force on earth. More and governed by Herod Antipas. The region was populated by Jewish people, who farmed, fished, or worked in commerce and trades. Synagogues provided centers for prayer and the reading of Scripture. The region also had larger cities such as Sepphoris and Tiberias, which included both Jews and Gentiles. These urban centers shared the wider Greek and Roman culture.
According to the New Testament Gospels, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and began preaching in Galilee. Jesus lived for a time in Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee, and gathered a group of disciples. Among these were Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who were fisherman. Jesus taught in local synagogues and was known as a healer. As he traveled to the north and east of Galilee, his reputation as a teacher, prophet, and miracle-worker grew. Many of his best-known teachings were parables that used familiar images to announce the coming of God’s kingdom. Some Jewish leaders opposed Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, and for healing on the SabbathSabbath is a weekly day of rest, the seventh day, observed on Saturday in Judaism and on Sunday in Christianity. In the book of Genesis, God rested on the seventh day; in the Gospel accounts Jesus and his disciples are criticized by some for not... More when no work was to be done. From their perspective, his message and actions seemed to violate the Jewish law.
Jesus’ final days were spent in Jerusalem near the time of PassoverPassover commemorates the deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egypt as described in the book of Exodus. It is celebrated with worship and a meal on the fourteenth day of the month called Nisan, which is the first month of the Jewish year. The time... More. The crowds initially welcomed him by spreading their cloaks and leafy branches on the road. But Jesus generated opposition by driving the money changers and merchants out of the templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... More. As he taught in the temple, some responded favorably while others considered him a threat to the social order. On Thursday evening of his final week, Jesus ate a last supperLast Supper is another term for the Lord's Supper. The term refers specifically to the final meal Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion. Christians believe that the sacrament of the Lord's Supper (also "communion" or "the Eucharist") was established by Jesus at the... More with his disciples, then went to the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, east of the city. There one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, arranged to have him arrested. Jesus was interrogated by some Jewish leaders, who denounced him as a would-be king to Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate had Jesus flogged and crucified alongside two criminals. Jesus was placed in a rock-hewn tomb. The Gospels conclude with the message of Jesus’ resurrection.
