RH: There were many competing movements during this period. There was the Pharisees social movement, which later was re-established as Rabbinic Judaism, becoming Judaism today. There was the Dead Sea Scroll community, which may have been a dropout, radical group that preferred to live outside of traditional society. All in one way or another addressed the oppression that the Jewish people felt, being colonized by the Roman Empire. The Jesus movement wound up displacing some of the others at the time. DN: Is there any direct evidence for Jesus' existence outside of the Bible? RH: Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, wrote of Jesus in the Greek version of the Antiquities of the Jews. He described Jesus as a "wise man" and a "doer of wonderful works." The fact that Josephus referenced Jesus reveals that stories about Jesus were already gaining momentum. DN: What permitted Christianity to spread so quickly? RH: Paul the apostle was a marketing genius. The notion of conversion targeted everyone, and along the way the message of Jesus was universalized. According to Paul, you didn't have to be ethnically Jewish, or follow the laws of Judaism, in order to follow Jesus. DN: Who funded and supported Paul? RH: He was supported mostly by wealthy widows. These were women with both money and autonomy. They bankrolled early Christianity. They also kept the teachings alive by holding services in their homes. Such "house churches" were common before cathedrals and other central meeting places were established. DN: What were some of their names? RH: Mary, or versions of that name were popular then, so there were a lot of Mary's! The Bible also mentions Priscilla, Rhoda, Dorcas and so many others. DN: Were there any female disciples? RH: Mary Magdalene was one prominent disciple. It's definitely a myth that there weren't any women disciples. And there is nothing in the Bible supporting that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. For some reason, her story was confused with an anecdote about a prostitute washing the feet of Jesus. DN: What other Biblical-related myths, in your view, should be busted? RH: It's commonly thought today that the heterosexual family, with a mother, father and children, was the only family unit sanctioned by the church. The early Christians instead put more emphasis on community that allowed for gender equality and where everyone was equal in the eyes of God. Related Links: |
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