Page 25 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook

During feasts or festivals, the enormous crowd of pilgrims into the Holy City inflated its population of
25,000 to at least four or five times that number. This brought an important stimulus to the city's
economy. This created a huge demand for food, lodging and sacrificial animals.

The overcrowding and the excitement of the festivals frequently led to outbreaks of violence and anti-
Roman rebellion. On more than one occasion the huge mass of pilgrims had been stirred up by zealous
nationalists or would-be Messiahs. For this reason, the Roman governor made a point of being present
during these occasions, and extra soldiers were stationed at strategic locations throughout the city. The
tenth legion of about 6,000 men plus 4,000 support personnel occupied Fort Antonia, a fortress
occupying about 36 acres of land on the highest point in Jerusalem (site of the current temple mount
and also called Mt. Moriah). Josephus Flavius describes the fort and the temple, around 600 feet to the
south of the fort, connected by two colonnade bridges. The book of Acts (21:32-35) describes the arrest
of Paul at the temple. The chief captain ran down to Paul who had been taken captive by the people
and led him under protection back to the stairs to the fort. Then Paul asked to make a defense standing
on the stairs of the fort. Later in this study, we will consider the location of the Temple in reference to
Fort Antonia.

Locate Jerusalem on the map. It is 80 miles due south of Nazareth. Samaria lies between Nazareth and
Jerusalem. Locate Samaria. Find Sychar or Sychor. Jacob dug a well here. This was the capital city of
Samaria and the city where Jesus will meet a special person as we shall see as we study the Gospel of
John.

2.4 Let’s Practice…

1. What is the Diaspora?
2. Why did Jews and Samaritans dislike one another?

3. What was the purpose of the synagogue?
4. Describe the Pharisees and what they believed?

5. Describe the Sadducees and what they believed?
6. What was the Sanhedrin and why was it important?
7. Why was Herod the Great a significant person in the Gospels?

8. Describe the people who lived in Nazareth.
9. Why did people in Israel say, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

10. Why was Bethlehem a significant city in Palestine at the time of Christ?
11. During the life of Christ, what was the most significant building in Jerusalem and why?

12. During a feast in Jerusalem, what would the population of people swell to?

2.5 Let’s Personalize this Lesson…

Activity: On the map below, fill in each of the blanks with the correct label. 1, 2, and 3 are
regions. The blue dots represent locations of cities.

24