The repercussions of the fire that burned most of Rome in 64 AD are still felt today.
The repercussions of the fire that burned most of Rome in 64 AD are still felt today.
2,164 words
Part 2 of 3 (Part 1 here, Part 2 here)
The Roman-Jewish War
Nero squeezed the economy of the entire empire to rebuild Rome after the fire. One of his schemes to acquire money was to tax the treasuries of religious institutions. (more…)
The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD changed the religious order of the Roman Empire.
The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD changed the religious order of the Roman Empire.
3,173 words
Part 1 of 3 (Part 2 here)
Theology matters. The ideas arising from how religious thinkers have connected things in scripture drive a great deal of social policy. The outcomes of these policies can be good or bad. Societies that follow a Calvinist interpretation of Christianity, for example, tend to be wealthy. (more…)
3,073 words
At all the turning points [in Jewish history], it is the more ethnocentric elements — one might term them the radicals — who have determined the direction of the Jewish community and eventually won the day. As recounted in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews who returned to Israel after the Babylonian captivity energetically rid the community of those who had intermarried with the racially impure remnant left behind. (more…)