Israel

ISRAEL 'S RELIGIOUS SYSTEM AT THE TIME OF CHRIST

INTRODUCTION

The geographic region of Israel was at the time of Christ populated by Romans , Greeks , Syrian , Egyptian , Persian and Jews

Christianity grew out of this melting pot of rich traditions superstitions , witch craft , and idol worship

The religious setting at the time of Christ was a mix of all kinds of belief systems . Jewish belief centered around one God . On the hand the Romans worshiped many gods . The Roman religious life was more on the philosophical level and very legal in

approach . Stoicism and Cynicism dominated their way of life which was in-fact their philosophy of religion

So in other words there was one group of people who were monotheists and another who were polytheists

In this the focus will be on the Jewish people and their religious thought , as it relates with the birth of Christianity . Within this context the ideas will be focused on the subject of resurrection

To reach the point of resurrection in all the history of the Jewish people . The Jewish people suffered a lot and still even today are at the mercy of their neighbors . Since ancient times-since genesis , and the fall , the Jewish people have awaited the coming of the Messiah or Savior . They celebrate the Passover feast as a way of reliving their deliverance from slavery out of Egypt

Another important historical fact is the Jewish tradition of - Sabbath At sundown on every Friday until sundown on Saturday Jewish people pray and worship God

Now , at the time of Christ the Roman empire , was their ruler , oppressor and tax beneficiary . Naturally , the Jewish people felt that it was the right time for the savior to come and deliver them from this evil . They were looking for political liberation , freedom and spiritual deliverance

For Jews , the Torah , or law ' was and is the source of all understanding and wisdom and learning . The Torah includes the first five books of the modern Bible (Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy . Thus religion , history and code of ethics is now generated out of what is commonly termed as some of the books of the Old Testament

A synagogue provided an ideal location for the education of young boys and men . Education was primarily oral (Mishna ) law and written (Torah Rabbis or teachers taught in the synagogues and these teachings arrive to us today in the modern world from generations of Rabbis

As I narrow down my thoughts to the Resurrection , I must get into two groups of thought that prevailed at that time among Jews . The first group , the Pharisees , promoted and believed in a life after death . In stark contrast were the Sadducees who believed in no after life or resurrection

It is very important now to progress into the body of this about Resurrection

QUESTIONS

Who are the Pharisees and Sadducees ? What did they believe in

Well , the best answer to these questions is to go to Jerusalem and meet with people...