Daily life in the time of Jesus: is it possible to form some kind of an idea what life was like two thousand years ago in the city of Jerusalem? The houses clung to each other, overlapping and even interpenetrating. There were no gardens, except for Herod’s. Most of the streets were exceedingly narrow, so narrow that two asses, bearing the panniers that they usually carried, could scarcely pass. Even people on foot would jostle one another and this caused a great deal of shouting and dispute.
The most animated places were the gates and the two markets, that of the upper town being frequented by the better sort of people. There were no carriages and only a few rich men’s litters. There were great numbers of sheep and cattle, so many needed for the sacrifices. We are discussing those years in our series, “Archeology and the Bible.”
Philosophical views of Greco-Roman culture with comparison to Christianity are the topics of our program, “Beyond Times.” There were Epicureans whose slogan “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die” is still known in today’s world. Stoics were the exact opposite of the Epicureans in most of their beliefs of accepting one’s predetermined fate courageously. Cynics and Skeptics were the most pessimistic and counter-cultural of the various philosophers. These lifestyles appealed to those usually in the upper classes who alone had enough free time to study with an existing philosopher at length, which meant that a certain elitism prevailed in these circles. Some philosophical terms appear to have influenced the New Testament writers’ usage as they compare and contrast Christian views with those of the various philosophers. One can read about Stoics and Epicureans in Acts 17 as Paul dialogues with the philosophers in Athens. The Stoics believed that God was so close to the world that He, in fact, was a part of it. Epicureans believed that He was so distant as to be unknowable. Paul affirms elements of both of these perspectives while rejecting elements of both of them in Acts 17.
The wandering nature of the cynic beggar living on handouts from others show some points of similarity with Jesus’ disciples when they go out two by two and rely on others hospitality, but there are noticeable differences. They proclaim an optimistic message whereas the cynics proved far more pessimistic.
We continue our study and discussion of the New Testament in the series, “Faith and Society.” Among the letters of Paul, 1 and 2 Corinthians are perhaps most notable for their practical content and personal style. But what was the city of Corinth like at that time? Renowned for its metallurgists, who specialized in bronze work, and for its sponsorship of the biennial Isthmian games, which were second in popularity and prestige only to those of Olympia, Corinth rapidly attracted a variety of new residents. The various populations created a cosmopolitan atmosphere dominated by economic sanctification and cultural diversity. We talk about this great city in the program, “Book of Books.”
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