THE BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY

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Another Christian leader, James the Just, met his death in the 60s. He was executed by stoning, along with some others, by the illegal action of the high priest Ananus when there was temporarily no Roman governor in Judea. James’s death (AD 62) was a blow to the church of Jerusalem, from which it never recovered.

The Church in the First Century AD.
Image source: © Carta, Jerusalem

A few years later the church left Jerusalem about the time of the Judean revolt against Rome (AD 66); most of its members settled beyond the Jordan, and no longer played an important part in the history of Christianity.

From now on there was no further question of maintaining a balance between the Jewish-Christian church in Jerusalem and the mainly Gentile church throughout the world. The church survived its first clash with the imperial power of Rome (under Nero) and continued to expand until, 250 years later, the imperial power (under Constantine) yielded to it.