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Chapter
The rise of Christianity
DOI link for The rise of Christianity
The rise of Christianity book
ABSTRACT
From the gospels of the New Testament as well as information from Jewish, Greek and Roman sources, it appears that a Jewish sect of Christians emerged during the years of unrest following Herod's death in 4 bce. According to the Christian scriptures, Jesus of Nazareth spent most of his life in Galilee where he acted as a healer, exorcist and itinerant preacher who proclaimed the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God. Paul – a Jewish from Tarsus in Asia Minor – played a pivotal role in the spreading of the gospel. His letters to scattered Christian communities provide first-hand evidence of the growth of this new religion. Paul travelled around Asia Minor and Greece as a Christian missionary. A theme in Paul's letters is his rejection of the demands of the Mosaic law: it is unnecessary, he argues, for Christians to be circumcised and to follow Jewish food regulations.