Historical background of the New Testament

Most scholars who study the historical Jesus and early Christianity believe that the canonical gospels and life of Jesus must be viewed within his historical and cultural context, rather than purely in terms of Christian orthodoxy. They look at Second Temple Judaism, the tensions, trends, and changes in the region under the influence of Hellenism and the Roman occupation, and the Jewish factions of the time, seeing Jesus as a Jew in this environment; and the written New Testament as arising from a period of oral gospel traditions after his death.

In 64 BCE, the already partially Hellenized Judea was incorporated into the Roman Republic as a client kingdom when Pompey the Great conquered Jeruseleum. The Romans treated Judea as a valued crossroads to trading territories, and buffer state against the Parthian Empire. Direct rule was imposed in 6 CE, and Roman prefects were appointed to maintain order through a political appointee, the High Priest. After the uprising by Judas the Galilean and before Pilate (26 CE), in general, Roman Judea was troubled but self-managed, and occasional riots, sporadic rebellions, and violent resistance were an ongoing risk.