History Of Christianity Dating Back To Over 2,000 Years Ago To When It All Began

The Christian faith is tied to historical events, including one of pivotal importance, the birth of Jesus Christ. This helpful timeline tracks the major events, advancements and notable people of Christianity dating back to over 2,000 years ago to when it all began.

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While the Christian faith may seem timeless, it has a definitive starting point combined with a rich history. This history is comprised of cherished literature, celebrated figures, and world-changing events. In addition, the Christian faith has had an all-encompassing influence on almost countless aspects of society including language, politics, family life, law, art, music, calendars, and more since its inception over two thousand years ago.

The Beginning of Christianity
Christianity first began with Jesus of Nazareth and centers around his life, teachings, death and ultimately, his resurrection, which took place in 30 AD. Jesus’ message continued to be spread after the resurrection by his apostles and aspects of his life were written by multiple authors between 30 and 100 years after his death. This written material makes up the Gospels, which later became the first four books of the New Testament. The Gospels detail Jesus’ teachings and healing ministry. His 12 disciples believed him to be the Messiah, hence the title “Christ,” originating from the Greek word for “Messiah.”

Those who follow Jesus’ teachings are referred to as Christians, or Christ followers. The Bible, known as the sacred text of Christianity, consists of the Old and New Testament. Appearances of the earliest Bible translations occurred between 200-300 AD. While many Christians believe the Bible is divinely inspired, views differ regarding the extent of its authority. Over the centuries, Christianity has divided into three major branches, including Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.

Religious practices vary by denomination and numerous holy days are celebrated. Easter is considered the most important Christian holiday, its date originally being determined in 190 AD. A celebration of Christ rising from the dead, the holiday is preceded by Holy Week and Good Friday. The 40 days leading up to Easter are known as Lent, a period of time marked by repentance and fasting. Another sacred day of Christianity is Christmas, which celebrates Jesus’ birth, and has largely been adopted by the secular population.

Shaped Over Centuries
The history of Christianity has been shaped over the centuries by a large number of captivating people such as the Apostle Paul, who is considered the greatest missionary and theologian of the faith; the early church father, Augustine; the reformer Martin Luther; world renowned missionary Mother Teresa; and Billy Graham, one of the most prominent evangelists in the history of Christianity. In addition, some critical historical events that helped shape the Christian faith into what it is today include the Apostles spreading Jesus’ message after his death, the conversion of Roman Emperor Constantine to Christianity, the Crusades, and the Protestant Reformation, among countless others.

If you find yourself fascinated by the Christian faith and interested in expanding your own faith, you may want to consider pursuing a degree in Theology, Biblical Studies, or Divinity. While you can study many religion-based programs at a Christian college, you may also want to consider a non-religion based major such as nursing, counseling, or business that infuses Christian teachings and values into its curriculum.

The Christian faith, unlike any other religion, is tied to historical events, including one of pivotal importance, the birth of Jesus Christ. This helpful timeline tracks the major events, advancements and notable people of Christianity dating back to over 2,000 years ago to when it all began.

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Christianity is the world's largest religion, with 2.8 billion adherents. It is categorized as one of the three Abrahamic or monotheistic religions of the Western tradition along with Judaism and Islam. 'Christian' is derived from the Greek christos for the Hebrew messiah ("anointed one"). Christianoi, "followers of the Christ," became the name of a group who followed the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth in 1st-century Israel and proclaimed him the predicted messiah of the prophets.

Christianity merged the beliefs of ancient Judaism with elements from the dominant culture of the Roman Empire. The sacred texts are combined in the Christian Bible: the Jewish Scriptures (now deemed the Old Testament) and the New Testament (the gospels, the letters of Paul, and the Book of Revelation). This article surveys the origins of the movement that ultimately became an independent religion.

Background in Ancient Judaism
Ancient Judaism shared many elements with other cultures and their religious views. They believed that the heavens contained gradients of divine powers that directly affected their daily lives. What distinguished ancient Jews from their neighbors was the command of their God of Israel to make sacrifices (offerings) to him only; 'worship' in this sense meant sacrifices. Jews had distinct ethnic identity markers: circumcision, dietary laws, and the observance of the Sabbath (suspension of all work every seventh day). An ancient leader, Moses, was believed to have received a law code directly from God to organize the Jews as a nation under the Law of Moses. They established a kingdom in Canaan under the auspices of King David and Solomon, who built the Temple in Jerusalem (1000-920 BCE).

The Jews suffered several national disasters over the centuries. The Assyrian Empire conquered and destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, which was followed by the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 587 BCE. The prophets of Israel (oracles) rationalized the disasters by claiming that God had punished the Jews because of their integration of idolatry in the land. However, they offered a message of hope; in the future, God would intervene one more time in human history in the final days. At that time, God would raise up a messiah from the lineage of King David, and some Gentiles (non-Jews) would then turn and worship the God of Israel. There would be a final battle against the nations, and Israel would be restored to its former glory. Israel would serve as a model righteous nation for the rest of the world, elevating their God above all others.

Greek & Roman Occupations
In the 1st century BCE, the Jews were ruled by the Seleucid Empire. King Antiochus Epiphanes (r. 175-164 BCE) forbid Jewish customs and ordered Jews to sacrifice to the gods of the Greek religion. The Jews, under the leadership of a Hasmonean family, rose up in the Maccabean Revolt and drove them out. As recorded in 2 Maccabees, their sufferings introduced two new concepts into Judaism:

the concept of a martyr ("witness") as someone who died for their beliefs
all martyrs would be rewarded with instantly being resurrected to heaven
Rome conquered Judea in 63 BCE. Various Jewish sects, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots, responded to the occupation in different ways. These groups shared the basic traditions but differed in how to respond to the new oppressor and the dominant culture of the Roman Empire.

During the 1st century CE, many messianic contenders attempted to foster rebellion among the crowds at festivals times. Rome's typical response was killing the leader and as many followers as they could find. Advocating a kingdom that was not Rome was equivalent to treason, for which the punishment was crucifixion.

Jesus of Nazareth
An itinerant preacher from Nazareth, Jesus, became the focus of a sect of Jews who had gathered to listen to his sermons in the Galilee region. In line with the prophets of Israel, he declared that the kingdom was imminent; God would shortly intervene and provide justice for all. He selected twelve disciples (students) as a symbol of the twelve tribes of Israel. According to the gospels (stories of Jesus written between 70-100 CE), he became famous for his miracles. His followers declared him the promised messiah.

The gospels reported that on a trip to Jerusalem during Passover (c. 30-33 CE) Jesus was put on trial by the Sanhedrin (the ruling council in Jerusalem) for allegedly preaching against the Temple practices. Condemned, he was handed over to the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, who crucified him for the claim that he was the King of the Jews. The trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth eventually became part of Christian liturgy (church rituals) by reenacting these events every year, during Easter Week.

This sect of Jews differed from the others in their messianic claims for Jesus; despite having been killed, he was resurrected from the dead on the Sunday following his death. According to Luke, he bodily ascended to heaven. What made this sect of Jews different from others was their teaching that those who followed Jesus would also share in the resurrection of the dead.

The gospel writers also had to face the problem that when Jesus was on earth, the kingdom had not been realized. An early follower conceived of the idea known as the parousia ("second appearance"), according to which Jesus would return to earth sometime in the future, and then all the predictions of the prophets would be fulfilled. Modern Christians still anticipate the return of Christ.

The Gentile Missions
According to the Acts of the Apostles 2, on the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and imbued them with the power to take the message of Jesus to other cities as missionaries. The ritual of admission was baptism, a water ritual that symbolized that one had repented and turned to God. This was initially begun by a contemporary of Jesus, a man known as John the Baptist.

When the first Christian missionaries took their message to other cities, to their surprise, more Gentiles wanted to join the movement than Jews. A meeting was held in Jerusalem (c. 49 CE) to decide whether these Gentiles had to convert to Judaism first. The Apostolic Council decided that the Gentiles did not have to adopt the ethnic identity markers of Jews (circumcision, dietary laws, Sabbath), but they did have to cease eating meat found in the wild, food sacrificed to idols, and follow Jewish incest codes.

Paul the Apostle
As a Pharisee, Paul initially opposed the new movement. He then received a vision of Jesus (now termed 'Christ') who told him that he was to be his apostle ("herald") to the Gentiles. Paul traveled to the eastern cities of the Roman Empire, preaching whatever traditions he knew concerning Christ, but adding the complete abolition of idolatry itself for his members. For thousands of years, ancient cultures had envisioned religious ideas as being in the blood, passed down through the ancestors who had received them from the gods. Paul upended this ancient system, by claiming that faith (pistis, "loyalty") to the teachings of Christ was all that was necessary for salvation (soter, "to be saved"). The letters of Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles indicate that he was often arrested and jailed for such teaching.

Paul said that Adam's sin brought the punishment of death into the world and Christ's death brought eternal life. Christ atoned for the sin of Adam, 'covering over,' 'restoring the violation of sin'. Applying analogies from the courts, Paul taught that followers were acquitted ("righteoused") from having to undergo the punishment for sin, that of death. The later Church Father, Augustine of Hippo (354-430) claimed that the original sin of Adam and Eve left a stain on the first human through sexual intercourse, which was then passed on to all humans. This introduced the Christian concept of human sexuality as sin and also led to the conviction that no one could be saved without baptism.

Paul said that when Christ returns, believers will be transformed into spiritual bodies and join Christ in leading God's kingdom on earth. As the decades passed and Christ did not return, this became adjusted to the conviction that even though believers still physically die, they would be able to share in the afterlife in heaven.

Christ as God
A major innovation in relation to Judaism was Paul's preaching (Philippians 2) that Christ was present at the creation and had descended from heaven as a manifestation of God himself in a human body. As such, Christ was now worthy of worship, with the title of "Lord" and equivalent to God. For Gentiles, this idea fitted well with their stories of their own gods traveling to earth in disguise, but for many Jews, this teaching was offensive and blasphemous.

The Great Jewish Revolt of 66 CE resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Roman general and future Roman emperor Titus in 70 CE. This event became a Christian rallying cry against the Jews who did not accept Jesus as the messiah; God had punished them by utilizing Rome to destroy their system of belief.

The innovative teachings of Early Christianity were perhaps the major incentives for the spread of the movement throughout the Empire. No longer tied to geography or ethnic ancestors, believers were embraced from all provinces and all classes into a collective of shared religious concepts. By the 2nd century CE, Christians could be found from Britain (and mainland Europe) to Africa and areas of Asia.

The Persecution of Christians (90-312 CE)
Ancient Rome had collegia, groups of people who shared the same business or trade and met together under the auspices of a deity. However, the group had to have permission to meet from the Roman Senate, a license for assembly. Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE) granted Jews the right to assemble and exempted them from the state cults of Rome, but Christians did not have the same right because they were not Jews (not circumcised).

Based upon the Greek concept of apotheosis ("to deify"), Augustus (r. 27 BCE to 14 CE) instituted the imperial cult, and beginning with Julius Caesar, dead emperors were understood to be with the gods. It evolved into the elevation of living emperors as responsible for the dictates of the gods and was utilized as propaganda throughout the Roman Empire. Christians refused to participate, and Rome's response to the spread of Christianity was charging them with the crime of atheism, "disrespect for the gods." Angering the gods threatened the prosperity of the Roman Empire, and so it was the equivalent of treason. This was the reason that Christians were executed in the arenas, with the phrase "Christians to the lions." For the next 300 years, Christian leaders continually petitioned emperors to grant them the same exemption from state cults as the Jews but were refused until 313 CE.

Christians adopted the same concept as the Maccabees by claiming that anyone who died for their faith was instantly transferred to the presence of God as a martyr. Martyrdom absolved all sins, and later, legendary literature known as martyrology described the details of their ordeals. However, the persecution was sporadic and limited to times of crisis. Earthquakes, plagues, inflation, famine, drought, and invasions on the borders assumed that the gods were angry, and Christians became a convenient scapegoat for such disasters. The most severe persecutions took place during the reign of Decius (251 CE) and Diocletian (302/303 CE).

The Creation of the Church & Institutional Hierarchy
By the middle of the 2nd century, decades had passed and the kingdom of God had not arrived. Christians still believed in the return of Christ, but this was now put off to the future. In the interim, Christian assemblies became institutionalized in the election of leaders and organized with the idea that believers should live as if the kingdom were already here; the kingdom would be found in the Church. (The Greek ecclesia, "assembly," ultimately was translated as "church"). Very few Jewish-Christians remained in the Christian communities. Christian leaders were educated converts from the dominant culture.

Retrospectively deemed Church Fathers, the writings and views of these men became Christian dogma, an accepted set of beliefs for the group:

The election of clergy – Borrowing an administrative level from the provincial Roman government, bishops (overseers in a diocese) were elected by the communities. Deacons were also elected to help serve bishops in the distribution of charity. Deacons eventually became priests, and together, the two levels constituted Christian clergy.
The Spirit of God – The spirit of God had imbued Christ with the ability to forgive sins on earth. It was understood to have been granted first to his disciple, Peter, and then to the others. They passed the spirit to the elders they appointed, and the Christian clergy was granted the unique power to forgive sins on earth.
Christian philosophy – Philosophers shared a common belief in the existence of a higher god, an ethereal first being who emanated the various powers in the universe. God then emanated a concept known as logos (often translated as "word") to organize matter in the universe. Christian writers claimed the higher god was the God of Israel, who emanated Christ in the form of the logos.
Celibacy for the clergy – Applying analogies of athletic discipline, ascesis, asceticism (not indulging the body) became an important Christian ideal. Christian clergy were urged to remain celibate (no marriage) and chaste (no intercourse), which elevated them above the community as living martyrs who sacrificed a normal life for the sake of the Church.
Orthodoxy/Heresy – Another major innovation emerged in the twin concepts of orthodoxy ("correct belief") and heresy (from the Greek haeresis, a school of philosophy). In the middle of the 2nd century CE, Christian communities categorized under the umbrella term 'Gnostics' emerged. Gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge about the nature of God, the universe, and Christ. Their ideas challenged mainstream Christian teaching on the salvation found in the crucifixion and the resurrection of the body. The reaction against the Gnostics was the production of an enormous body of literature, outlining correct beliefs (orthodoxy) as opposed to the incorrect beliefs of these groups (heresy). These teachings became the later basis for the Christian Creeds. Declaring the Gnostic gospels heretical saw the beginning of the eventual canonization of only four gospels in the New Testament: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John.
The separation of Christianity from Judaism – In 135 CE, the Jews revolted against Rome, and when the Bar-Kokhba Revolt failed, Christian leaders were anxious to convince Rome that Christians were patriotic citizens who obeyed the Roman law. In their appeals to stop Christian persecution, Christian leaders petitioned emperors to recognize the antiquity of Christians, as verus Israel, the true Jews of God's original covenant. To prove the antiquity of Christians, the philosophical literary device of allegory was applied to the Jewish Scriptures. The testament of the Jews and the prophets of Israel had all pointed to Christ. Everywhere that God appeared in the Scriptures was as a pre-existent Christ.
Christianity was now a religious system that was no longer ethnically Jewish, and no longer aligned with the dominant culture, but a unique system with elements from both.

The Christianization of the Roman Empire
Life unexpectedly changed for all Christians in 312 CE. In his goal of becoming the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, Constantine I (r. 306-337 CE) clashed with another contender in the Western Empire, Maxentius. The night before the Battle at the Milvian Bridge in Rome, Constantine received a vision with either the sign of the cross or the first two letters of Christ's name, chi/rho, with the words en toutoi nika ("in this sign conquer") written beneath. Defeating Maxentius, Constantine credited the victory to the Christian god.

The Edict of Milan (313 CE) finally granted Christians the permission to assemble. Constantine’s conversion to Christianity did not make the Empire Christian overnight, but Christianity now had legal standing. Constantine favored the Christians by exempting the clergy from taxes, appointing Christians as magistrates, and providing funds for the building of churches.

During Diocletian's persecution, some Christian bishops had committed apostasy by sacrificing to the gods. The debate on whether the lapsed bishops should be forgiven split the churches, and they appealed to Constantine as a mediator. To promote the unity of the Empire, he ordered a policy of "forgive and forget" and became the official head of the Church as the supreme patron of Christianity. He adopted the views of the Church Fathers and utilized the same concept as when Rome persecuted Christians: anyone who disagreed with his Christianity was deemed a heretic and guilty of treason.

The Council of Nicaea
When the followers of Jesus began worshipping him as a god, Christians struggled with a problem that was related to their claim that they inherited Jewish monotheism. From the very beginning, Christians had worshipped Jesus as a god and had baptized "in the name of the Father and the son and the holy spirit" (Didache 7:5). Early in the 4th century, a presbyter in the church at Alexandria by the name of Arius proposed that if you believe that God created everything in the universe, then at some point, as creator, he must have created Christ. This demoted Christ as subordinate, a creature of God. Riots arose over this in Alexandria and in other cities. In 325 CE, Constantine called for a major conference to settle this issue and invited 217 bishops to the city of Nicaea.

After days of debate, the conference voted that God and Christ were identical as to essence (sharing the same ethereal substance), and they had existed from the very beginning of time. When God emanated the logos (as Christ), he became manifest in the earthly Jesus. With Christ identical to God, the Christian heritage of monotheism of traditional Judaism was retained, now defined as belief in one God. Until Christ returns, the Christian Emperor would stand in for him on earth. As the stand-in for Christ, portraits of Constantine and his successors have halos over their heads.

While he had all the bishops in attendance, Constantine had them create what became the Nicene Creed, another Christian innovation. (It is called a creed from the Latin of the first word "Credo" or "I believe"). In the ancient world, the concept of a creed did not exist because there was no central authority to dictate conformity. As both head of the state and the church, Constantine mandated what every Christian should believe so as not to fall into the sin of heresy.

Constantine ordered 50 copies of the gospels to be distributed, most likely determining the official recognition of what became the four canonical gospels. Some Christian communities had followed the Jewish lunar calendar for celebrating Easter, while others varied. Constantine set the official date as the way they did it in Rome: it would be honored on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. He later selected December 25 as the birthday of Christ (Christmas), incorporating many of the traditions found in the Roman celebration of Saturnalia in December.

Not all the Bishops were content with the Nicene Creed. Over the next several centuries, several Councils met to debate details, and this would continue throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. Theodosius I (r. 347-395 CE) is remembered as a great champion of orthodoxy. He issued an edict in 381, which spelled the official end of native cults in the ancient world. Theodosius banned the Olympic Games (dedicated to the gods) in 396 CE, not to emerge again until 1896. All native temples and shrines were ordered destroyed or turned into churches. This is when Christians invented the term pagianoi ("pagans," equivalent to ignorant ones), a negative slur against those who had not yet converted.

Monasticism & the Cult of the Saints
Monasticism originated in Egypt in the mid-3rd century CE and eventually became a major institution in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communities. Anthony of Egypt (251-356 CE), was the first to renounce the traditional conventions of life in this world, for one of isolation and complete devotion to God. He retired to a cave in the desert to spend his life in prayer. Soon, other men and women followed him to live as hermits in the desert. The recluses, deemed "Desert Fathers and Mothers" became models of piety and eventually gave rise to the monastic orders of the Middle Ages.

Christians borrowed the ancient ideas of Greek hero cults and the concept of patron/client relationships. Hero cults had been established by cities that claimed to have the tombs of the heroes. People made pilgrimages to these sites, petitioning the heroes (now with the gods) to mediate for them and provide benefits. Beginning in the 4th century CE, earlier martyrs' tombs, as a sacred intersection between heaven and earth, became the object of pilgrimage and Christians petitioned the dead martyr through hymns and prayers. The dead martyrs and monastics were now patron saints, and towns and cities that had a martyr's grave became famous sites of pilgrimage.

To remove the taint of idolatry in public buildings that were now churches, Christians began exhuming the bones of dead martyrs and moving them into the walls of the buildings. It was believed that these relics contained a special power to make the building a sacred space. The trade of relics (bones and items that touched earlier martyrs) became a phenomenon throughout the empire and remains important in the Catholic Church.

The Rise of the Institution of the Papacy
After the sack of Rome, 410 CE, by Alaric I, the king of the Visigoths, the fall of the Western Roman Empire began. In 450 CE, Attila the Hun invaded Italy, sacked several cities, and headed for Rome. Bishop Leo I (400-461 CE), also known as Leo the Great, is credited with negotiating with Attila to spare the city. As the bishop of Rome, he took on the secular responsibilities, which created the institution of the Papacy. Leo was granted the title 'Patriarch of the West', which included the first usage of the title 'Pope' for Leo. The word popa is derived from the Greek word for father. Validation for the power of the pope was drawn from the primacy of Peter, retroactively claiming Saint Peter as the first pope of Rome.

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Abraham is a venerated patriarch whose relationship with God provides the foundational story for God's beneficial relationship with humanity. According to biblical tradition (and some say myth), Abraham (c. 20th century BCE) was born in or near the city of Ur in Mesopotamia, most likely in southern Chaldea. Abraham (originally named Abram), married his half-sister, Sarah (originally named Sarai) and began a long journey from Mesopotamia to Haran, and then later to Canaan and Egypt. Detailed in the book of Genesis, chapters 12–25, Abraham's name comes to mean "Father of a multitude" and/or "the friend of God." His journey, as depicted in the Bible, is a long and dramatic one, with Abraham and Sarah encountering many different cultures, customs, and people groups along the Fertile Crescent from Mesopotamia to Egypt.

The Traditional Story of Abraham
The Bible notes that at age 75, Abraham received a divine invitation or calling from God (Yahweh) to travel to a distant land where God would reward him beyond measure. Genesis 12:1–3 states:

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (12:2-3)

Despite the inherent dangers of traveling at such an old age and through unknown and unfriendly territory, Abraham trusted God and took his entire family (including his father and nephew Lot) and personal possessions on his trek to this promised land.

The first part of the trip purportedly took them to Haran, in northern Mesopotamia, where his father, Terah, died at age 205. In the second part of the trip, Abraham's caravan entered and toured through Canaan, where God appeared to Abraham, saying, "To your offspring I will give this land" (12:7). In celebration and worship, Abraham built an altar to God and then "went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east" (12:8). As earlier, Genesis notes that Abraham built another altar to God before moving again to the Negev, southwest of the Dead Sea.

Masquerade in Egypt
A sad-but-normal part of ancient Middle Eastern existence, a terrible famine swept through Canaan, and Abraham and his family escaped to Egypt for rescue and relief. The move was far from reassuring as Abraham began to fear for his life because of the beauty of his 65-year-old wife. Abraham asserted, "When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live" (12:12).

In shrewdness or out of cowardice, Abraham instructed his wife to "pretend" to be his sister, which was already factually true, Sarah being his half-sister. Abraham's concerns were justified, apparently, because after they entered Egypt, "the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. And when the Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh [possibly Senusret II, who ruled Egypt from 1897-1878 BCE], and she was taken into his palace" (12:14–15). For Abraham, this was not the worst of situations for he received many gifts from Pharaoh, including cattle and servants.

Still, the Bible recounts that God was not pleased with the scenario surrounding Abraham and Sarah. The Pharaoh and his household soon experienced horrible plagues, which alerted him to Abraham's ruse. Pharaoh exclaimed, "What have you done to me?" (12:18), shames Abraham for his deception, and demands that they both leave (although he allows Abraham to keep his gifts, interestingly). Thereafter, Genesis records that "Abraham went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold" (13:1-2).

Returning to Canaan, Abraham and his tribe thrive and expand even more than before, which leads to intertribal bickering and competition between Abraham and Lot's shepherds over grazing lands for their ever-increasing herds. Genesis states:

But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarreling arose between Abram's herders and Lot's. (13:5–7)

Thus, the two split up and Abraham chose the Plain of Hebron to call "home," and Lot chose the Plain of Sodom, which would end up a disastrous choice for Lot and his family.

Infertility
One of the central parts of the story of Abraham and Sarah concerns their inability to conceive a child, which was very important in antiquity—both socially and for survival. Childlessness and barrenness in the Patriarchal Age was considered a sign of shame upon the woman, typically the result of undisclosed sin in her life. Additionally, children were considered a blessing and a form of social security, insuring protection and care in people's old age. Understandably, in Genesis 15:1, Abraham laments:

Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? ... You have given me no children; so, a servant in my household will be my heir. (2–3)

The Bible once again provides a glimpse into the intimate relationship between Abraham and his deity with God proclaiming, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward" (1), and Abraham taking God at his word, which "[God] credited it to him as righteousness" (15:6). Abraham's wife, Sarah, however, was less patient and more desperate to have a child. Herself apparently barren and of advanced years, Sarah orders Abraham to have sexual relations with their Egyptian slave, Hagar, whose child Sarah would take to raise as her own.

Although this offends modern sensibilities for its cruelty and exploitation, sexual encounters between slaves and owners were not an unusual event; as a slave, Hagar had few (if any) rights of ownership. Additionally, such a liaison provided deeper integration into the household and could create greater social security for the slave. Still, biological and emotional bonds between mothers and their children are very strong, so (understandably) Sarah and Hagar grew to dislike each other, immensely, ending with taunting from Hagar and physical abuse from Sarah upon each other.

Hagar, the Runaway Slave
The Bible states, "Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so, she fled from her" (16:7), and went out into the desert, dangerously, without proper supplies. Fortunately for Hagar, according to the biblical text, God sent an angel of the Lord to rescue and restore her to Sarah. He said, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her ... I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count" (16:9–10). This adds another cultural wrinkle to the tale, as slavery was an integral part of ancient existence, with slavery providing key benefits that accompanied its social restrictions for many people (and especially for women).

This leads to another of the most poignant moments of the Bible, when Hagar gives God a name - El Roi. She states, "You are the God who sees me ... I have now seen the One who sees me" (16:13). In an era where slaves were considered mere property and women were relegated to a lower social class, the Bible speaks of God's great mercy and compassion for Hagar despite her lowly position, affirming her humanity and value in the world.

Hagar returned to Sarah and delivered her child to Abraham, age 86, who God instructed to name the child, "Ishmael" (16:11). Although he would eventually become the father of the Arab nations, the Hebrew scripture described Ishmael as "a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers" (16:12).

Covenant of Circumcision
Some years later, Genesis records that God expanded his covenant with Abraham, charging him to "walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then, I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers" (17:1–2). Abraham prostrated himself in reverence as God then described this new eternal covenant between them that required a lengthening of his name officially to “Abraham,” but a shortening of his anatomy. God proclaimed:

You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come, every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner - those who are not your offspring. (17:11–12)

This was to be Abraham and his nation's community agreement with God, a physical token and expression of their love and commitment to each other. With this sacrifice and serious expression of devotion and obedience, God would bless the nation as he was going to bless Abraham and Sarah, with a child of their own, finally.

Both nearly a hundred years old, the prospect of getting pregnant and delivering that child seemed an impossibility. In fact, when he heard the news that they would be parents, "Abraham fell facedown; he laughed" (17:17) - as did Sarah. Still, the Bible records that God assured the elderly couple, "But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year" (17:20–21). Obedient to the end, Abraham circumcised his son, Ishmael, as well as all the men in his tribe. He, too, was circumcised at age 99, showing his great love and a cultural custom that was passed down from generation to generation even into present times.

Another Masquerade for Abimelech
Despite the promises of God noted in the Bible, Abraham continued to be apprehensive about the safety of him and his household. Thus, when Abraham traveled into the region of Gerar, old fears re-emerged concerning the beauty of his wife and the threat of others who would kill him to attain Sarah, such as Abimelech, the King of Gerar, who "sent for Sarah and took her" (20:2). Once again, Abraham passed Sarah off as his sister (perhaps because it worked out so well for him in Egypt). This time, however, the Bible records that God warned Abimelech to not touch Sarah in a troubling dream.

In this nocturnal dialogue with God, Abimelech pleaded his case, of which God agrees with his potential liaison with Sarah being more about the lies of Abraham (and Sarah) than the king's lusts. Still, God responds:

Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die." (vv. 20:6-7)

As with Pharaoh, Abimelech chastised Abraham, who shares his fears with the king, but Abimelech restored Sarah to Abraham with her honor. More than that, the king gave Abraham gifts of sheep, cattle, female slaves, and riches, saying, "My land is before you; live wherever you like" (v. 20:15). Abraham, also wanting to make things right, prayed for Abimelech and his family who were healed from their short-lived curse of childlessness.

A Promise is Fulfilled
Despite Abraham's insecurity and foolishness, Genesis indicates that God fulfills his promise to the Covenant couple and Isaac is born, whose name means "Laughter," because Sarah laughed when she heard that she was going to become pregnant at such an old age. Abraham, now 100 years old, obeys God's commandment and circumcised Isaac according to the Covenant, and Isaac "grew and was weaned" (v. 21:8). Abraham's family story is not over, though. Out of jealousy and insecurity, no doubt, Hagar the Egyptian mocked Isaac and Sarah, which caught the attention of Sarah who had enough of her slave's insolent ways and demanded Abraham send them away. Genesis states, "The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son" (21:11), but God reassured Abraham that Ishmael would be taken care of and blessed, greatly.

Once again, Hagar and her child are struggling for survival in the desert, dying of thirst, and once again, God sends an angel to rescue her and Ishmael, who says, "Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation" (21:17–18). God then provides a well of water for them to quench their thirst and cool their bodies. Genesis states, "God was with the boy [Ishmael] as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer" (21:20).

One of the more controversial passages in the Bible concerns God's commandment that Abraham sacrifice his son, Isaac - the child of the Promise. God said to Abraham, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you" (22:2). Interestingly, the passage does not record Abraham arguing with God although he must have been tremendously conflicted and sad about God's order to him.

The Sacrifice of Isaac
The next day, Abraham took his son and two servants on a trip to the mountain that God had told him to offer the sacrifice of his son. Questions remain as to the age of Isaac with some scholars saying that he was still just a boy, while others say he was nearing "manhood youth." Regardless, Isaac was unaware of God's sacrificial plan for him, and asked his father, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (21:7), to which Abraham replied, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son" (21:8), which many Christians have asserted is a foreshadowing of the event to Jesus' sacrifice upon the Cross as reported in the New Testament.

Regardless, after shrewdly tiring out Isaac by making him carry the wood for his sacrifice up the mountain, "Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son" (21:9–10), but an angel of the Lord stopped him and commended him for his willingness to sacrifice his son out of obedience and fear (respect) of God. The angel of the Lord said to Abraham:

Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as sand on the seashore (21:16–17).

Abraham's story begins to wind down with the death of Sarah at age 127, who died at Hebron and was buried in the Cave of Machpelah, which Abraham purchased from the Hittites, and where all the Patriarchs and Matriarchs will be buried beside Rachel. Its location is still unverified although some scholars claimed to have discovered it in the 1800s CE, claiming that it is underneath a massive building originally built by Herod and now covered by a Muslim mosque from the Saladin era.

Genesis 25 reports that Abraham remarried after Sarah's death (or married another woman while still married to Sarah) at age 137. His second wife's name was Keturah and they had six children together: "Zimran, Jokshn, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah" (25:2). Still, according to Judeo tradition, Isaac was Abraham's main heir, the Child of the Promise. Thus, when Abraham died at 175 years, "a good old age" (25:7–8), all his possessions went to Isaac, including the blessing of God through the Covenant. Still, in a sweet display of mournful unity, "His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him the Cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham bought from the Hittites" (25:9–10).

The Epigraphical & Archeological Evidence for the Patriarch Abraham
As with other ancient biblical figures, little if any direct archeological evidence exists concerning Abraham. By their very nature, nomadic tribes leave little permanent buildings or religious artifacts establishing their existence. In the desert, all resources are precious and indispensable to the life of the tribal community. That being said, several archeological finds (old and more recent) indirectly affirm the existence of people and places that Abraham would have encountered in his journeys depicted in the Bible.

To wit, archeologists have confirmed the existence of a city complex near the ancient city of Ur in southern Iraq that would have been in existence during Abraham's journey, references in the Tablets of Ebla that seem to show a monotheistic understanding of God despite the polytheism of 20th century BCE Middle Eastern culture, thousands of clay tablets found at Mari in modern-day Syria that include terminology found in the biblical story of Abraham, and scholars point to historical connections to the Amorite exodus and migration occurring around 2100-1900 BCE.

King James 1566-1625 The Black King Who Had The Bible Translated Into English - https://rumble.com/v29ufns-king-james-1566-1625-the-black-king-who-had-the-bible-translated-into-engli.html

King James, was the 1st King of England born 1566-1625 and he was the first to rule Scotland and Northern Island at the same time. In 1603 he commissioned a scholars to have the bible translated into English and make it available to all English speaking people throughout the world. It’s a little known fact that he was a Black man who ruled these countries in Europe.

In The Name Of Jesus ? Who ? Most Evil Christians In World King James Bible 1611 -

https://rumble.com/v32u9pw-in-the-name-of-jesus-who-most-evil-christians-in-world-king-james-bible-161.html

In The Name Of Jesus ? Who ? Out of all the gangsters, serial killers, mass murderers, incompetent & crooked politicians, spies, traitors, and ultra left-wing kooks in all of American history,” asked a conservative and have you ever wondered who the worst of the worst In The Name Of Jesus ? Who ?

Jesus,” which later employed the letter “J,” is a derivation It was not until 1630 that the differentiation became general in England.”

Note in the original 1611 version of the King James Version of the Bible there was no “J” letter in this Bible for because it did not exist. James was spelled Iames. Jesus was spelled Iesous.

The 80 books of the King James Version include 39 books of the Old Testament, 14 books of Apocrypha, and the 27 books of the New Testament.

The Letter “J” did not Exist -
https://ia800703.us.archive.org/33/items/kjvkingjamesbibl1611lman/kjvkingjamesbibl1611lman.pdf -
The Son of Elohim was not a White Guy with an English Name, speaking Greek.

One of the most asked questions of the century. How can the Messiah’s Name be Jesus if the letter “J” did not exist 500 years ago?

The Messiah walked on earth about 2,000 years ago. If the letter and sound of “J” did not exist when the Messiah walked on this earth, what was His Name?

In the English Alphabet, the letter “J” was originally used for the letter “I”. The first to distinguish the difference between the letter “J” and the letter “I” was in Gian Giorgio’s 1524 “I” and “J” were originally the same letter but different shapes both equally the same letter.

According to the history of the English Alphabet, the official and original sound of the letter “J” was the sound of “Y” in “yet” or “yellow”.

The very first English-language book to make clear distinction between the sound of “I” and the sound of “J” was not written until 1634. It wasn’t until then, after the 1611 Bible was published, that the English language officially accepted the shape and sound of the letter “J” as “jay” and no longer the “yuh” “Y” sound.

Jehovah or Jesus are Man made Names, with Man Made Doctrines. Tricked, Bait & Switch. Now after Reading this Post, you are No Longer Tricked. From this Point on you’re making a Choice who to follow.

A Savior Created by the Church of Constantine the Great; “Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Savior a different way.”

This is not the Savior Yahu’sha, this is a different one, that is followed a different way, his name is Jesus. The one we are warned would came in His name, the one told you would accept, while you reject the True Master. We were Warned and we Can see just how True it is.

Jesus Rejected in His Name
The Bible warns of a false Jesus who would come in His name, deceiving many (Matthew 24:5, 11). Conversely, Jesus Himself proclaimed that He would accept those who truly believed in Him (John 6:37). However, despite this promise, many rejected the True Master, Jesus Christ.

Pharisaical Rejection

The Pharisees, who claimed to know God’s will, rejected Jesus as the Messiah (Luke 7:29-30). They were blinded to the truth, refusing to acknowledge Jesus’ miracles and teachings (Matthew 12:1-14, 22-37). Their rejection was a fulfillment of Scripture, as Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13, saying, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8).

John the Baptist’s Inquiry

John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus and witnessed God’s affirmation of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17), sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah (Luke 7:18-23). Jesus responded by citing His miracles, demonstrating His divine authority (Matthew 11:4-6). This answer was meant to confirm John’s understanding and alleviate any doubts.

The True Master’s Acceptance

Despite humanity’s propensity for rejection, Jesus accepts those who come to Him in faith (John 6:37). He does not force His acceptance, but rather, it is granted by the Father (John 6:65). This acceptance is not based on human merit but on God’s sovereign election (Romans 8:30).

Conclusion

The paradox of rejection highlights the complexities of human nature and the nature of God. While many reject Jesus, the True Master, He remains willing to accept those who genuinely seek Him. This acceptance is a testament to God’s mercy and love, despite humanity’s propensity for rebellion and rejection.

This is a chronological list of international or colonial world's fairs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world's_fairs
All elaborate temporary fairgrounds built are removed after the fair is over.

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 0 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
Exploring Tartaria - Old World Secrets Revealed
https://rumble.com/v2u8ef4-real-timeline-of-deception-part-0-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 1 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
The Timeline Deception - Part I - Exploring Tartaria
https://rumble.com/v2ua8sa-real-timeline-of-deception-part-1-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 2 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
The Timeline Deception - Part II - Exploring Tartaria
https://rumble.com/v2ubf4w-real-timeline-of-deception-part-2-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 3 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
The King of Tartaria - Exploring Tartaria
https://rumble.com/v2ueih6-real-timeline-of-deception-part-3-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 4 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
The Saints - Relics, Reliquaries, & The First Resurrection
https://rumble.com/v2ugl92-real-timeline-of-deception-part-4-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 5 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
The Saints - The Ruling Class - Exploring Tartaria
https://rumble.com/v2uij7w-real-timeline-of-deception-part-5-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 6 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
From Atheism, Agnosticism, New Age, Protestantism, to Roman Catholicism
https://rumble.com/v2ujvr6-real-timeline-of-deception-part-6-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 7 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
The Millennial Kingdom of God - Exploring Tartaria
https://rumble.com/v2uldss-real-timeline-of-deception-part-7-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 8 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
Magic of the White City 1893 Chicago World's Fair
https://rumble.com/v2un20g-real-timeline-of-deception-part-8-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 9 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
1000 Years Added To Our History & Dark Ages Never Existed
https://rumble.com/v2uo07i-real-timeline-of-deception-part-9-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-ou.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 10 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
Church History - Complete Documentary AD 33 to Present
https://rumble.com/v2uprfu-real-timeline-of-deception-part-10-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-o.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 11 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
Christmas Unveiled - Pied Piper - Templars Secret - Saturn's Workshop - Giants Stealing Children
https://rumble.com/v2urmd0-real-timeline-of-deception-part-11-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-o.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 12 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
Ancient Cloning Factories - Foundlings - Incubators - Test-Tube Babies
https://rumble.com/v2uu8ck-real-timeline-of-deception-part-12-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-o.html

Real Timeline Of Deception Part 13 Exploring Tartaria 1000 Years
Homunculus Unveiled - Jesus - Artificial Generation - Liber Vaccae - Lost Esoteric Secrets

https://rumble.com/v2uwmvc-real-timeline-of-deception-part-13-exploring-tartaria-1000-years-added-to-o.html

Archaix Chronology Anunnaki Sumerian Gods Crystalinks Timelines 2040B.C. 2046A.D.

https://rumble.com/v2v0zks-archaix-chronology-anunnaki-sumerian-gods-crystalinks-timelines-2040b.c.-20.html

Archaix 2.0 Doomsday Chronology Five color charts with extensive Legend-chronology; exhibits 62 dates involving 300 events in linear timeline combining the Phoenix and Nemesis X Object appearances, the Mayan Long-Count baktuns and the Anunnaki NER 600 year periods, a history spanning over 74 centuries to May 2040 and November 2046.

https://rumble.com/v2b2zqq-a-must-see-video-what-on-earth-happened-parts-14-all-13-parts-together-woeh.html

The Lost History of Earth (Ewaranon) W0W - A Must See Video Lost Earth
Everything we were taught about the Earth, History, Science, Space, Energy and our Civilization was a lie. This mind blowing documentary will shift your perspective of the world monumentally.

https://rumble.com/v28b4q6-a-must-see-video-lhfe-part-8-history-of-a-lost-earth-all-7-parts-together-l.html

The Secret Life of Symbols with Jordan Maxwell Knowledge of the Heavens, Life on Earth

https://rumble.com/v28wyns-the-secret-life-of-symbols-with-jordan-maxwell-knowledge-of-the-heavens-lif.html

Ancient Religions From Alpha To Stone Age To Omega To Modern Times To Infinity

https://rumble.com/v2wigv2-ancient-religions-from-alpha-to-stone-age-to-omega-to-modern-times-to-infin.html

This 11.5 Hrs. Full Documentary With Sound Is About Ancient Religions From Alpha To Stone Age To Omega To Modern Times To Infinity.

Everything we were taught about the Earth, History, Science, Space, Energy and our Civilization was a lie. This mind blowing documentary will shift your perspective of the world monumentally.

Proofs Earth Is Not A Spinning Ball What The Hell Happened 200 Times Collection

https://rumble.com/v2u2d94-proofs-earth-is-not-a-spinning-ball-what-the-hell-happened-200-times-collec.html

Proofs Earth Is Not A Spinning Ball When a photo of spherical Earth is pointed out to flat-earthers, they will dismiss it as CGI in the blink of an eye; even if they haven’t done any analysis at all. They do this because their belief in flat-Earth is not evidence-based, and any evidence contrary to their beliefs needs to be invalidated no matter how. They are so used to doing it, and sometimes they become confused by it themselves, to the point that they would take the slightest hint of digital manipulation of any picture of the Earth as evidence of the flat Earth.

Everything we were taught about the Earth, History, Science, Space, Energy and our Civilization was a lie. This mind blowing documentary will shift your perspective of the world monumentally.

Stolen History - Nothing Is as It seems (Part 0 - Post-Reset War of the 19th Century). The official version of human history is a construct of lies. We are in a state of collective amnesia. Let us get rid of the artificial matrix that has been imposed on us.

Stolen History Part 0 - The Post-Reset War of the 19th Century - TheRealOriginoftheWorld - https://rumble.com/v3e7ssx-stolen-history-part-0-the-post-reset-war-of-the-19th-century-therealorigino.html

Stolen History - Nothing Is as It seems (Part 1 - Introduction).
The official version of human history is a construct of lies.
We are in a state of collective amnesia. Let us get rid of the artificial matrix that has been imposed on us. The Real Origin of the World ?

Stolen History Part 1 - Lifting the Veil of Deception - TheRealOriginoftheWorld - https://rumble.com/v3e9hn5-stolen-history-part-1-lifting-the-veil-of-deception-therealoriginoftheworld.html

Stolen History - Nothing Is as It seems (Part 2 - Destruction of the Old World Stolen). The official version of human history is a construct of lies. We are in a state of collective amnesia. Let us get rid of the artificial matrix that has been imposed on us. The Real Origin of the World ?
The official version of human history is a construct of lies. Our we in a state of collective amnesia.

Stolen History Part 2 - The Destruction old World - TheRealOriginoftheWorld - https://rumble.com/v3eb23o-stolen-history-part-2-the-destruction-old-world-therealoriginoftheworld.html

Stolen History - Nothing Is as It seems (Part 3 - Mystery of the World's Fairs). The official version of human history is a construct of lies. We are in a state of collective amnesia. Let us get rid of the artificial matrix that has been imposed on us. This part covers the World's Fairs and the period in which they took place.

Stolen History Part 3 - The Mystery of the World's Fairs - TheRealOriginoftheWorld - https://rumble.com/v3ecipd-stolen-history-part-3-the-mystery-of-the-worlds-fairs-therealoriginofthewor.html

Some available information suggests that even after the worldwide, game-changing event we call the Reset or Mud Flood, there still remained countless complete and beautiful cities that were conquered by a new power elite and then repurposed as "World's Fairs".

Especially in America, the so-called New World, the many Greco-Roman cities would have been difficult to explain because in contrast to Europe, the Americas do not have an official greco-roman history.

The more carefully one investigates, the more difficult it becomes to find plausible explanations for the construction and destruction of these extraordinary and huge exhibition areas.

We at this channel would like to add this quote for everyone to open your own mind this year: Your body diet is not only what you eat. It is also what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, the people you hang out with and the things you subject your mind, body and soul too. Always be mindful of the things you put into your body emotionally, spiritually and physically. Thank You Everyone Who Watch Our Video's To Help Other In 2024

Welcome To Our Channel 4.9 Million+ Views In 2023 - 2024 & 852 Video's So Far This Two Year Alone - Thanks To Everyone Who Like Us... Good Or Bad You Are All Welcome To Share Any Video's We Post To Your Friends And Other's... Thanks To All !

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