Roman Military in Israel

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course on Roman Military explains how Romans came to rule Israel and how they interacted with the Jewish culture in the first century CE. The lectures explain the Roman military structure and lay a foundation for understanding the Roman military-related terminology found throughout the New Testament texts. Curiously, the New Testament presents both positive and negative portrayals of the military. How did the individual New Testament writers treat the Roman army? While for many 1st century Judeans the inclusion of Roman institutions was understood, for modern readers it is hard to fully make sense of it. On one hand, Romans keep order, but on the another, they limited Jewish freedoms and sought to reshape Judea. The understanding of Roman military context gives us a deeper insight into many biblical passages, helping us to see the bigger picture behind the familiar bible verses.