cultural and historical background

Scholars examine the cultural and historical background of Jesus in order to better understand Jesus, his ministry, and the origins of Christianity. This examination treats the New Testament as one of many documents, written and perhaps later edited by people who wanted others to believe as they did, which can be used to piece together a more complete and authentic understanding of the life and times of Jesus and the founding of early Christianity.
The cultural and historical context of Jesus is that of Galilee and Judea (modern day Israel; Palestine; and Jordan) during the first half of the first century.Following the break-down of earlier Jewish kingdoms and a variety of contested rulership claims, various groups held differing political and religious points of view regarding possibilities of a revival of sovereignty — either nationalistic or religious in nature — creating social tension.
By 63 BCE, the partially-Hellenized territory had come under Roman imperial rule as a valued crossroads to trading territories. The Roman Prefect’s first duty to Rome was to maintain order, through his political appointee the High Priest. In general, Roman Judea was peaceful and self-managed, however riots, sporadic rebellions, and violent resistance were an ongoing risk. The conflict between the Jews’ demand for religious independence and Rome's efforts to impose a common system of governance upon its entire empire (including in religious and cultural matters) meant there was a constant underlying tension alongside peaceful governance, with minor outbreaks common. Four decades after Jesus’ death the tensions culminated with the first Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, which in turn catalysed the final stage in the birth and divergence of Early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism, see also List of events in early Christianity .