Lesson 3.2: Pax (Pt. II)

Glossary

Historical Context & Core Concepts

Apocalypticism – The belief that the current world is corrupted and will soon be overturned by divine intervention, establishing a new, just order.

Messiah (Mashiach) – A Jewish concept referring to an anointed leader, often envisioned as a king from the line of David, who would restore Israel’s sovereignty and justice.

Roman Imperialism – The practice of conquering and ruling over diverse peoples through military, political, and economic domination; Roman brutality shaped much of the Jewish and early Christian experience.

Client State – A state that maintains nominal independence but is heavily controlled by a more powerful empire (e.g., Judea under Rome before 6 CE).

Sanhedrin – The Jewish high court composed of elders and priests; under Roman rule, it retained authority over some religious and legal matters but not capital punishment.

Chosen Families – A term used to describe how displaced and traumatized early Jesus-followers formed communal, supportive groups that replaced traditional family ties.

Mystery Religions – Popular Roman-era cults (e.g., cult of Isis, Eleusinian mysteries) that offered personal salvation through secret rites and myths, often competing with emerging Christian groups.

People & Groups

Jesus (Yeshua) – A Jewish apocalyptic preacher who taught the imminent arrival of God’s kingdom; executed by crucifixion under Roman authority around 30 CE.

Pontius Pilate – The Roman governor of Judea (26–36 CE) who authorized Jesus' crucifixion to maintain political order.

Caiaphas – High priest of Jerusalem (appointed c. 18 CE) who, according to tradition, orchestrated Jesus’ arrest to protect priestly authority and appease Roman officials.

Philo of Alexandria – A Jewish philosopher who synthesized biblical tradition with Greek philosophy, emphasizing a rational, allegorical reading of Scripture and paving the way for universalist moral thought.

Herod the Great – Roman-appointed king of Judea known for massive building projects (including the expansion of the Second Temple) and his ruthless political rule.

Valerius Gratus – Roman governor who appointed Caiaphas as high priest before Pontius Pilate’s term.

Key Practices & Related Ideas

Allegorical Exegesis – The interpretive practice of reading sacred texts symbolically rather than literally to reconcile apparent contradictions or absurdities.

Healing of Myth – A Greek tradition of using philosophy to reinterpret traditional stories to preserve their cultural value while removing problematic elements.

Philo’s Logos – A reworking of the Stoic and Platonic idea of divine reason; for Philo, the Logos is an intermediary between God and the created world.

Diaspora Judaism (aka Philonic Judaism) – The form of Judaism that developed outside of Judea, often more philosophical, universal, and detached from Temple rituals.

Chosen Israel – For Philo, a symbolic spiritual community of the righteous, not merely an ethnic group tied to a geographic land.

Proto-Christianity – The diverse, loosely connected Jesus-movements of the first century CE before the development of orthodox Christian doctrines.

Roman Crucifixion – A brutal form of execution designed to publicly humiliate rebels and criminals, reserved especially for non-citizens.

Divine Moral Law – The idea in general refers to the notion of rules or principles ordained by some supernatural being (i.e., god). Historically, there are two divine law traditions that we are concerned with—that of Judaism and that of Greek monotheism; these synthesize in Philo’s work, such that that Judaic divine law comes to be seen as rational, unchanging, and universally accessible through reason. See the Supplemental Material below for more.

Mystical Union – In Philo’s philosophy, the soul’s ecstatic merging with the divine, anticipated by Stoic and Platonic traditions of divine madness.

Words You Might Not Know

Client State – A semi-autonomous region politically dependent on a larger empire.

Diaspora – The dispersion of a people beyond their original homeland; in this case, Jews living outside of Judea.

Apocalyptic – Pertaining to revelations about the end of the current world order and the beginning of a divine new one.

Messiah – Literally “anointed one”; a political and/or spiritual leader expected to bring salvation.

Exegesis – Critical interpretation or explanation of a text, particularly sacred scriptures.

Philo’s Logos – The "Word" or divine reason that orders the cosmos, acting as an intermediary between God and creation.

Mystery Cult – Religious movements offering secret rites of initiation, salvation myths, and promises of a blessed afterlife.

Allegory – A literary or interpretive method that expresses abstract ideas through symbolic figures, actions, or events.

Crucifixion – An execution method by nailing or binding a person to a cross; used by Romans to punish and deter rebellion.

Cosmopolitanism – The idea of being a citizen of the world rather than a particular nation; influential in both Stoic and Philonic thought.