Map of Judea, ruled by Pilate AD 28
Map of Judea, ruled by Pilate AD 28
Israel's territory of Judea in Roman times was part of the larger Roman province of Judea. Romans established it after the Roman Empire had conquered the region in 63 BC.
The Roman governor rule the province included Judea proper, Samaria, and Idumea. Pontius Pilate was one of the governors.
Governor Pilate
Pontius Pilate was the fifth prefect (governor) of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius during the trial of Jesus Christ. He is known for his role in the crucifixion of Jesus, as depicted in the New Testament. Historians debate Pilate's actions during this event. Some say he was reluctant to carry out the execution and others paint him as a ruthless authority seeking to suppress dissent. Regardless of his true intentions, Pilate's name has become synonymous with the power and cruelty of the Roman Empire in Judea.
The Roman presence in Judea triggered a series of big events in the Bible. It was during the Roman occupation that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and eventually crucified in Jerusalem. In Judeo-Christian tradition, the Roman Empire is represented as the oppressive power that ruled the region and allowed the persecution of Jews by their neighbors.
Judea: King David's home
Judea was home to a number of key biblical figures, including King David and King Solomon. It was also the site of important biblical events such as the birth, ministry, and execution of Jesus Christ.
Jewish revolts
The Roman occupation of Judea was marked by numerous uprisings, some of which had religious motivations. Zealots, a group of Jewish rebels, believed in the imminent arrival of the Messiah. They saw the Roman presence as a desecration of Jewish land. This led to a number of rebellions against the Roman authorities during the first century AD, such as the Great Jewish Revolt from 66-73 AD. These uprisings ultimately ended in AD 70 with Roman crushing the revolt and destroying the Second Temple, a traumatic event in Jewish history. The Temple has never been rebuilt.
Written by AI Chat
Edited by Miller
For Pilate's story, Matthew 27, Casual English Bible
Compare other Bible versions at Bible Gateway
Map to crucifixion in Jerusalem
Map Good Samaritan
Map Good Samaritan
Map – God to Abraham: “It’s all yours.”
Map - God to Abraham: "It's all yours."
Map of Abraham leaving Haran
Map of Abraham leaving Haran
Abraham’s Promised Land Plus
Abraham's Promised Land Plus
Promised Land Boundaries
Map Boundaries of the Promised Land God gave to Abraham
Abe gets Israel and beyond
The boundary of the land God promised to Abraham extends beyond Israel, north to the Euphrates River. That's Syrian's northern boundary with Turkey. The land also stretches east into what is now the country of Jordan.Different versions of the boundaries
Promise to Abraham
Promise to Moses
Land captured by Joshua
Abraham’s trail
Abraham's trail
Abraham's trail
Mesopotamia
From the ancient NYC
Mapping Abraham's journey begins in Mesopotamia. In Bible times, this part of the world was like the ancient version of the buzzing New York City, only much bigger. It was the vibrant hub of a civilization that emerged from land sandwiched between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. That's mainly in Iraq and western Iran.
This area was prime real estate for early human settlers because those rivers brought life to the arid land. The word "Mesopotamia" itself means "between the rivers" in Greek. It's a fair name because these rivers provided water for farming and transportation.
Mesopotamia such a big deal in Bible times because it became the stage where many biblical stories played out. This was where we would have found:
- the famous city of Babylon
- the Tower of Babel (that's the one where people tried to build a tower to reach the heavens, and it didn't go too well).
- home to Abraham (city of Ur) the father of three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He came hailed from the city of Ur, which was right there in Mesopotamia.
Daniel in Mesopotamian lion's den
Also, Israelites spent decades in Mesopotamia during their exile to Babylon's land. That's where we come across the story of the prophet Daniel and the lions' den. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who had a starring role in the Bible by destroying Jerusalem, ruled this land too.
Mesopotamia was like the biblical backdrop for many important events in the Bible. Those rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, made it into a thriving civilization.
Matthew traces the family tree of Jesus, back to southern Iraq, home of Abraham, father of the Jewish people. Matthew 1.
Compare Bible versions with Bible Gateway
Map, Mary heads for the hills of Judea
Map, Mary heads for the hills of Judea
Map of Mesopotamia – Born here: Civilization
Map of Mesopotamia - Born here: Civilization
Map of Mesopotamia - Born here: Civilization
Mesopotamia
Ancient NYC
Mesopotamia in Bible times was like the ancient version of the buzzing New York City, only much bigger. It was the vibrant hub of a civilization that emerged from land sandwiched between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. That's mainly in Iraq and western Iran.
This area was prime real estate for early human settlers because those rivers brought life to the arid land. The word "Mesopotamia" itself means "between the rivers" in Greek. It's a fair name because these rivers provided water for farming and transportation.
Mesopotamia such a big deal in Bible times because it became the stage where many biblical stories played out. This was where we would have found:
- the famous city of Babylon
- the Tower of Babel (that's the one where people tried to build a tower to reach the heavens, and it didn't go too well).
- home to Abraham (city of Ur) the father of three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He came hailed from the city of Ur, which was right there in Mesopotamia.
Daniel in Mesopotamian lion's den
Also, Israelites spent decades in Mesopotamia during their exile to Babylon's land. That's where we come across the story of the prophet Daniel and the lions' den. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who had a starring role in the Bible by destroying Jerusalem, ruled this land too.
Mesopotamia was like the biblical backdrop for many important events in the Bible. Those rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, made it into a thriving civilization.
For the Garden of Eden stories, Genesis 2-3, Casual English Bible. Compare to other Bible versions, Bible Gateway.