Matthew Ehret: 26-05-2026,
In the last installment of this series, you were introduced to the dominant mystery cults of the Persian and earlier Babylonian Empire that seeded themselves into Athens, and Roman territories transforming each civilization into Marcher Lords of a very ancient evil.
In this third installment, we will explore the emergence of Christianity amidst the early phases of the Roman Empire’s emergence as the new marcher lord of Babylon.
The Rise of Christianity
Amidst this moral rot and decadence, the new ministry of Jesus was just beginning in the Roman satrapy of Palestine. But it was something that the Roman Empire was more than happy to ignore, as it appeared in Roman eyes to be just another one of many messianic Jewish cults that would arise from time to time.
Unlike the countless other Jewish messianic sects that came and went, this new movement led by Jesus of Nazareth did not disappear the way the Romans had presumed it would. Instead, it grew quite fast.
Sermon on the Mount by Gustav Dore
In the first century AD, Rome was relying on an ever-increasing use of slavery which fed the decadent city centers of Rome. The Roman population was fed blood sports, gladiator matches, and nearly non-stop festivals to keep them placated, drunk and docile. Orgiastic Festivals were increasingly becoming hegemonic in the urban city centers, while the outskirts of the empire were constantly being looted and abused as lower caste satraps.