Die Welt zur Zeit Jesu

By Werner Dahlheim

Book Description

In this sweeping historical exploration, Werner Dahlheim reconstructs the complex world that witnessed the birth of Christianity and shaped its earliest expansion. When Jesus walked the dusty roads of Palestine and met his fate on Calvary, few could have imagined that this moment would transform human history. Yet within decades, as Jerusalem burned and the Second Temple crumbled, Christian missionaries were already carrying their message across the known world.

Dahlheim paints a vivid portrait of the Roman Empire at this pivotal moment, revealing how local religious and political tensions either ignited conflicts or were crushed beneath the march of Roman legions. This was a world where governors wielded absolute authority, tax collectors extracted their tribute, and Roman nobility lived in splendor while diverse cultures converged on the imperial capital. Greek mysteries mingled with Egyptian wisdom, oriental spices filled the markets, and Gallic slaves served in Roman households, all contributing to the empire's magnificent complexity.

Through careful historical analysis, this panoramic work illuminates the social, political, and cultural forces that both challenged and facilitated the spread of early Christianity. For readers seeking to understand how spiritual movements emerge and flourish within broader historical currents, Dahlheim offers essential insights into the world that gave birth to one of humanity's most influential faiths.