History Points to Jesus

Summary

This video explores the historical and cultural conditions that made Jesus' appearance and message possible. It discusses the development of communication through writing, the spread of the Greek alphabet and the Roman Empire's influence, which facilitated the dissemination of ideas. The script also highlights the Pax Romana, the Roman road system, and the postal service as critical for the spread of Christianity. It suggests that Jesus embodied the expectations of ancient cultures, aligning with prophecies and myths, and questions if his coming was a divine plan prepared throughout history.

Takeaways

• 📜 The development of communication, from pictographs to the Greek alphabet, was essential for the spread of complex ideas and teachings, which would have been impossible without these advancements.
• 📰 The invention and spread of papyrus allowed for the transportation and sharing of written ideas, which was a critical step in the dissemination of information.
• 🔤 The Phoenician alphabet, lacking vowels, and its subsequent improvement by the Greeks with the addition of vowels, played a significant role in the ability to communicate nuanced concepts.
• 🌐 The Roman Empire's expansion and the Pax Romana facilitated the spread of ideas and culture, including the message of Jesus, across a vast and connected territory.
• 🚗 The construction of roads by the Persian and Roman Empires, and the Silk Road by the Han Dynasty, enabled the physical movement of people and ideas, contributing to the spread of religious teachings.
• 📬 The development of the postal system by the Romans provided a fast and reliable means of communication, which was crucial for the spread of religious messages and texts.
• 🕊️ The concept of Jesus Christ as a 'true myth' suggests that the story of Jesus resonated with the expectations and myths of the time but was presented as a historical reality.
• 🔮 Jesus is portrayed as fulfilling the divine expectations present in both Jewish and non-Jewish cultures, indicating a convergence of prophecies and archetypes in his person.
• 📖 The Old Testament contains numerous figures and prophecies that prefigure Jesus, suggesting a long-standing anticipation of his role and attributes.
• 🌟 The historical and cultural conditions of the time, including language, communication, and political stability, were aligned to prepare for and facilitate the spread of Jesus' teachings.

Q & A

Why was the timing of Jesus' appearance historically significant?

The timing of Jesus' appearance was significant because it coincided with advancements in communication, the expansion of the Roman Empire, and a period of peace known as the Pax Romana, which allowed for the effective dissemination of his teachings.

What were the limitations of communication prior to 3500 BCE, and how did this affect the potential spread of complex ideas?

Before 3500 BCE, communication was limited to pictographs, which were symbols or pictures representing objects. This form was too rudimentary to convey complex concepts like those associated with Jesus' teachings, and the physical medium, such as clay tablets, was fragile and difficult to transport.

How did the development of papyrus and the alphabet contribute to the spread of ideas?

Papyrus, a paper-like material, and the development of a true alphabet with both consonants and vowels allowed for more complex and widespread communication of ideas, which was essential for the dissemination of Jesus' teachings.

Why was the Roman Empire's expansion crucial for the spread of Christianity?

The Roman Empire's expansion meant that by the time of Jesus, most of the known world was connected through economic, military, and linguistic systems, facilitating the rapid spread of Christianity.

What was the Pax Romana, and how did it influence the spread of Jesus' message?

The Pax Romana was a period of relative peace throughout the Roman Empire. This stability allowed for the safe and rapid spread of Jesus' teachings across the empire.

How did the development of roads and the postal system aid in the communication of ideas during the time of Jesus?

The construction of roads by the Persian and Roman Empires, along with the establishment of a sophisticated postal system by the Romans, enabled the efficient movement of people and ideas, which was instrumental in spreading the message of Jesus.

What is the significance of the common language, Koine Greek, in the context of Jesus' teachings?

Koine Greek was the common language of the Roman Empire, which allowed for the teachings of Jesus to be understood and communicated across diverse regions and cultures.

How did the portrayal of Jesus in the script relate to the expectations of ancient people regarding divine figures?

The script suggests that Jesus embodied the expectations of ancient people regarding divine figures by fulfilling the attributes and roles that were anticipated in various religious and cultural myths.

What does C.S. Lewis mean by describing the story of Christ as a 'true myth'?

C.S. Lewis refers to the story of Christ as a 'true myth' to convey that while it shares characteristics with mythological narratives, it is distinguished by being an actual historical event.

How do the script's descriptions of Moses, Joseph, Joshua, David, and Jonah relate to the life and attributes of Jesus?

The script describes various attributes and events in the lives of Moses, Joseph, Joshua, David, and Jonah that prefigure or mirror aspects of Jesus' life, suggesting a historical and cultural preparation for his arrival.

What evidence does the script provide that God might have been preparing humanity for the arrival of Jesus?

The script provides evidence by showing how Jesus met the expectations of both Jewish and non-Jewish cultures, as well as embodying the attributes of Israel's ancient leaders, suggesting a divine preparation for his coming.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Historical Context for Jesus' Arrival

The paragraph explores the historical and technological developments that made the arrival and message of Jesus possible. It discusses the evolution of writing from pictographs to the development of papyrus and the Phoenician alphabet. The Greeks' addition of vowels and the Romans' spread of the alphabet are highlighted as crucial for the dissemination of complex ideas. The paragraph also touches on the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire's extensive road system, and the postal service, all of which facilitated the spread of Jesus' teachings.

05:01

🌟 The Cultural Fuse for a Messiah

This paragraph delves into how the Roman Empire's unification of the known world, adoption of a common language, establishment of peace, and development of infrastructure created an environment ripe for the spread of new ideas. It also discusses the ancient postal system and the religious tolerance of the era, setting the stage for a significant figure like Jesus. The paragraph suggests that history was aligning for a special event, with Jesus potentially fulfilling ancient expectations and embodying the attributes of previous leaders and prophets.

10:03

🔍 The Anticipated Divine Figure

The final paragraph examines the concept that Jesus might have been a fulfillment of long-standing expectations for a divine figure. It draws parallels between descriptions of Jesus and those of ancient leaders and prophets, suggesting a collective image of Jesus that emerged over centuries. The paragraph ponders whether Jesus was a 'true myth,' a divine expression through real events, and if history was uniquely prepared for his coming, as predicted in various ancient traditions.

Keywords

💡Pictographs

Pictographs are symbols or pictures representing objects, which were one of the earliest forms of writing. In the context of the video, pictographs were limited in their ability to convey complex concepts, such as those related to Jesus' teachings and nature. The script mentions that if Jesus had arrived during the era of pictographs, prior to 3500 BCE, it would have been impossible to communicate his message effectively in writing.

💡Papyrus

Papyrus is a paper-like material made from pressed strips of reeds, which allowed for more advanced communication compared to clay tablets. The video explains that by 3000 BCE, the Egyptians began using papyrus, enabling written ideas to travel and be shared more widely. This development in writing material was essential for the later dissemination of Jesus' teachings.

💡Cuneiform

Cuneiform is a system of writing that uses wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets to represent syllables and words. The script discusses how cuneiform, along with other advancements, helped people communicate more complex ideas than pictographs alone. However, it still had limitations in conveying the depth of Jesus' message.

💡Phoenician Alphabet

The Phoenician alphabet, developed around 1050 BCE, was an early form of the alphabet that included 22 consonants but lacked vowels. The video points out that had Jesus arrived during this period, it would have been challenging to write about him in a way that could be widely understood due to the absence of vowels in the Phoenician script.

💡Greek Alphabet

The Greek alphabet, which included vowels, was adopted and modified by various cultures, including the Etruscans and later the Romans. The video emphasizes the importance of the Greek alphabet in facilitating the spread of Jesus' message, as it was more comprehensive than the Phoenician alphabet and became widely used.

💡Koine Greek

Koine Greek was a common spoken form of Greek used for trade and civic interactions throughout the Roman Empire. The video highlights that even the Jews used Koine Greek to communicate with non-Jews, making it a crucial language for spreading the message of Jesus across diverse regions.

💡Pax Romana

Pax Romana refers to the period of relative peace and stability throughout the Roman Empire under the rule of Caesar Augustus. The video suggests that this era provided a conducive environment for the rapid spread of Jesus' teachings, as it allowed for safer travel and communication across the vast empire.

💡Roman Roads

Roman roads were an extensive network of well-built and maintained roads that facilitated the movement of people, goods, and ideas across the empire. The video explains that these roads, along with the Silk Road and other infrastructure developments, were instrumental in the dissemination of Jesus' message.

💡Postal System

The Roman postal system was a sophisticated network for transmitting mail across the empire. As mentioned in the video, this system was fast and reliable, playing a significant role in the spread of ideas, including the teachings of Jesus.

💡Divine Expectations

Divine expectations refer to the attributes and characteristics that people expected from a divine figure or leader. The video discusses how Jesus met the divine expectations of both Jewish and non-Jewish cultures, embodying the qualities of ancient leaders and prophets, which suggests a historical preparation for his arrival.

💡True Myth

The term 'true myth' is used by C.S. Lewis to describe a story that resonates with people in the same way as myths but is based on real events. The video suggests that Jesus' story, while reflecting common expectations, was distinct from ancient myths and could be considered a 'true myth' as it actually happened.

Highlights

The timing of Jesus' appearance is questioned in relation to historical communication developments.

Pictographs, the earliest form of writing, were too limited to convey complex concepts about Jesus.

The invention of papyrus around 3000 BCE allowed written ideas to travel, a prerequisite for spreading Jesus' teachings.

Cuneiform was an advancement in writing but still insufficient for widespread communication of Jesus' message.

The Phoenician alphabet in 1050 BCE lacked vowels, hindering comprehensive writing about Jesus.

The Greeks added vowels to the alphabet in 800 BCE, facilitating clearer communication of Jesus' story.

The Roman Empire's adoption of the Greek alphabet and the spread of Papyrus were crucial for Jesus' message.

Koine Greek became the lingua franca, enabling the message of Jesus to be understood across the empire.

The Pax Romana, a period of peace, and the size of the Roman Empire allowed for rapid spread of ideas.

The development of roads by the Persian and Roman Empires facilitated the physical spread of ideas.

The Roman Postal System in 30 BCE provided a fast and reliable method for communication across the empire.

The cultural and infrastructural developments of the Roman Empire aligned for the spread of a significant message.

Jesus' story reflects common expectations of people contemplating God, yet differs from ancient myths.

C.S. Lewis described the story of Christ as a 'true myth' that actually happened, unlike other myths.

Jesus embodied the attributes and expectations of ancient leaders and prophets, as described in the Old Testament.

Jesus met the divine expectations of non-Jewish cultures and personified the attributes of Israel's ancient leaders.

The historical developments seemed to prepare humanity for the arrival of Jesus Christ, who was predicted to come.

Transcripts

[Music]

several months into my research about

Jesus I was still a long way from

believing that he mattered I remember

wondering why did Jesus appear when he

did if he was God couldn't he have come

whenever you wanted why not come a

thousand years earlier or why not show

up for the first time

today

was there an aspect of History a strand

of the fuse that would explain why Jesus

came when he did

to begin answering this question we have

to look at the history of communication

[Music]

the first and most ancient forms of

writing are called pictographs symbols

or pictures representing objects or

pressed into wet clay with primitive

tools

while you've likely seen examples from

ancient Egypt this form of communication

was terribly Limited in what it could

convey

had Jesus arrived at this point in

history prior to 3500 BCE

complex Concepts about his nature and

his teaching would have been impossible

to communicate in writing worse yet the

clay tablets would have been incredibly

fragile nearly impossible to transport

however by 3000 BCE the Egyptians began

using a paper-like material called

papyrus made from press strips of reeds

Papyrus allowed written ideas to travel

well for the first time

developments in writing also help people

communicate more complex concepts with

cuneiform symbols rather than merely

pictures

but while these developments were

helpful other advancements were

necessary to further the cause of

communication as we know it today

at this point the world was still

waiting for a true alphabet

and 1050 BCE the Phoenicians developed

an alphabet that included 22 consonants

but completely lacked vowels if Jesus

arrived at this point in history it

still would have been difficult to write

about him in a way that could have been

understood widely while The Phoenician

alphabet was well established in its

region it was not well known in other

places

by 800 BCE the Greeks added vowels to

their 27-letter version of the alphabet

about a hundred years later in 700 BCE

the Etruscans living in modern day Italy

adopted the Greek alphabet and changed

the shape of several letters when the

Romans conquered the Etruscans they

embraced their alphabet and by 100 BCE

began to export it to every region they

conquered

although the Romans ruled much in the

region the linguistic Legacy of their

Greeks dominated the culture a common

spoken form of Greek language known as

koine Greek was used to trade and for

civic interactions everywhere

even the Jews used it to speak to the

Gentiles

at this point in history once the Roman

Empire had adopted the Etruscan modified

Greek alphabet Advanced koine Greek as

the language and normalize the use of

Papyrus the message of Jesus could be

effectively communicated and shared with

language and in letters had Jesus

arrived prior to 100 BCE none of this

could have been possible but in addition

to the development of language and

alphabets another critical and more

forceful strand of the views contributed

to the explosive appearance of Jesus in

history

this aspect of the future required the

growth of an Empire in 264 BCE the

legendary Roman Empire occupied only the

Italian Peninsula had Jesus appeared at

this point his life and message would

have been confined by the Obscure

language and government of the Jewish

region

but over the next few hundred years Rome

enlarged the Empire to include most of

Europe Asia the Balkans the Middle East

the Mediterranean and North Africa by 31

BCE the entire Known World Israel

included now had access to the same

economic military and linguistic systems

on top of that Caesar Augustus the first

Roman Emperor also brought about an

unprecedented time of Peace called the

Pax Romana

the expansive size of the Roman Empire

coupled with this historic period of

Peace in the region paved the way for

the message of Jesus to spread quickly

so what else is missing when looking at

the fuse leading to Jesus what other

strands need to be in place

the first Wheels were crafted in about

5000 BCE at 2500 years later carts first

came into use

roads at the time were particularly poor

so these cards were primarily used for

farming and 500 BCE the Persian Empire

began building some of the best roads in

the ancient world the Romans picked up

where the Persians left off they needed

a way to quickly and effectively move

their armies from one region to another

so they built roads all over the Empire

and made them straighter and safer than

any before

with the Han Dynasty in China creating

the Silk Road in a 130 BCE and the

Romans building out an infrastructure of

secondary roads and perfecting the

engineering of bridges and tunnels in

100 BCE the stage was set for ideas to

spread throughout the empire

foreign

provided a new opportunity to share

ideas but it mainly did so by laying the

groundwork for another development the

postal system

ancient Egyptians appear to have had a

postal service as early as 2000 BCE but

the Persians in 1700 BCE are generally

accredited with having the first true

mailman

networks of private careers started to

form but even in places like China India

and Greece mail systems were used

primarily to transmit official mail or

military intelligence Rome provided a

more sophisticated solution in 30 BCE

this Postal System spanned the entire

Roman Empire and was both fast and

reliable

any careful investigator of History

something was about to happen in the

first century

a cultural fuse was burning

pairing Antiquity for whatever would

eventually initiate the Common Era

Rome had unified much of the Known World

adopted a popular language provided a

shared alphabet established peace

constructed Rose developed a

sophisticated Postal Service and

embraced a significant degree of

religious tolerance it seems apparent

that history was aligning for something

special to happen

what or who was this fuse about to

ignite

why would Jesus just happen to personify

the expectations of the Ancients sure

the gospel writers could not have known

enough about the vast Pantheon of gods

to craft Jesus as pure fiction

the story of Jesus even though it

reflected the common expectations of

people who had been thinking hard about

God was very different from the ancient

myths

C.S Lewis once put it this way the story

of Christ is simply a true myth a myth

working on us in the same way as the

others but with this tremendous

difference that it really happened

the Pagan stories are God expressing

himself through the minds of poets using

such images as he found there while

Christianity is God expressing himself

through what we call

real things

was Lewis right

had God delivered in Jesus what the

Ancients had only imagined if so was

there any evidence that God might have

been preparing Humanity for the arrival

of Jesus

compare how the ancient pagans describe

their gods with this description from

the Bible who am I describing

as a baby he escaped the decree of a

king and avoided certain death he lived

in Egypt as a child but later returned

to his homeland he was known by his

followers to be both humble and strong

he was tempted while in the wilderness

he was attested by God through signs and

wonders he worked a miracle at the sea

he fed thousands of people miraculously

with bread he spoke God's word and

taught God's law from a mountain he was

the mediator between God and his people

now for those of you familiar with the

stories of Jesus this description seems

to describe him perfectly

however this historical figure preceded

Jesus by thousands of years this is a

description of the prophet and leader

Moses

here's another description from the

Bible

he was the object of his father's love

was underestimated and dismissed by his

family

fed the hungry successfully resisted

Temptation was falsely accused was

stripped of his robe and delivered to

the Gentiles was sold by someone he

trusted for pieces of silver

although this sounds like Jesus it's

actually Joseph nearly 400 years prior

to Moses

here's another

he began his ministry in obscurity but

Rose to a position of Honor

he was anointed to lead and Shepherd his

followers

he did for God's children and what his

predecessor Moses could not do

he brought deliverance from the enemies

of God and promised to give rest to his

people sound familiar

as Joshua the Protege of Moses how about

this description he was born in the town

of Bethlehem identified as a Shepherd

King

when he was young he amazed his elders

and he came from an unexpected pedigree

his popularity with the masses angered

leaders but was nevertheless anointed by

God to Shepherd his people

that's King David

here's one more

he preached repentance to the Gentiles

and slept on a boat during a storm

he chose to sacrifice himself so that

others might live and spend three days

giving up for dead

after those three days he spent 40 days

preaching

although this last description also

sounds like Jesus

it's the prophet Jonah

now take a look at all of these

descriptions in their totality

who do they describe

this Collective picture of Jesus is

found not on the pages of the New

Testament but on the pages of the old

the image of Jesus emerged over the

centuries and the lives of leaders and

Prophets familiar to the Jewish

community

Jesus possessed all 15 Divine

expectations of non-jewish cultures he

also personified all the attributes of

Israel's ancient leaders

if God truly exists and he wanted to

make himself known in a way that would

be recognized by humans across the globe

it seemed reasonable that he would meet

the expectations of the humans he

created

Jesus seemed to meet those expectations

robustly

was Jesus the true myth that Lewis had

described

was God expressing himself through what

we call real things

was Jesus the Divine Person of Interest

the pastor had described

was the fuse leading up to the Common

Era uniquely preparing history for the

coming of Jesus Christ and one of his

coming had been predicted all along

[Music]