Political, Social & Religious System in Palestine (Para: 1)
During the time of Jesus, Judaism was constantly being challenged internally and externally.
Imperial Rome was threatening the existence of Judaism.
This occurred in a number of ways but the fundamental way was that Rome was Polytheistic.
The Jewish people value there land very highly due to them believing that land is a sign of covenant with them.
The jewish during the first century Palestine believed that the land that they owned and its produce belonged to God.
This meant that the Jewish thought that for them to give away their land to the Romans to pay taxes would be unfaithful to God.
This made the idea of them paying taxes and giving up their land very disagreeable and undesirable.
Resulting in them refusing to give up their land to Caesar due to it belonging to their God.
Religious System
The Romans were Polytheistic meaning that they believed in one God.
This was the complete opposite of what the Jewish were, they are monotheistic.
The Jewish were not happy and were enraged about the polytheistic Romans.
This resulted in the first century of Christian Era being full of tension and nervousness, especially due to the separate political and religious life of the Jewish people.
During first century Palestine, Palestine was in great turmoil due to it being first influenced by the Persians, then the Greeks.
Then buy the end of the first century it was part of the growing Roan Empire.
When the Romans first arrived, Palestine was reeling from the multiple centuries of occupation.
Palestine was once again an occupied country under foreign rule, resulting in the Jewish thinking of themselves as the chosen people by God under attack.
While this was ongoing many different groups formed with in Judaism, with the goal of ending the conflict.
Religious System
in 63BCE, the Romans colonised Palestine, their new policy was to appoint native rulers to different regions if necessary.
This occurred during Herod's reign which was the same time as when Jesus was born.
When 'Herod the Great' died in 4BCE, he split his land up into 3 portions and gave it to his children.
His son Herod Archeleus ruled over Judea as well as Samaria.
These two regions were full of restless people, making it very hard for Herod to keep control of the region.
Herod had a 'tyrannical' leadership style which meant that he inflicted great fear into the population of his areas.
This resulted in the people of Samaria pleading with Rome to remove Herod and replace him.
The Romans listened and replaced him with a Roman Governor instead.