Understanding the Bible, Palestine, and Gospels: Key Concepts
The Bible: A Long Process
The Bible began to be written a thousand years before Christ and concludes at the end of the first century of our era. We can distinguish different stages:
- A major event occurs.
- Reflection upon this event provides a religious meaning to what happened.
- This reflection is transmitted orally from generation to generation.
- These oral traditions are eventually written down, sometimes centuries later.
- These books on rolls are read in family and religious celebrations.
- All of these books come together to form today’s Bible.
Palestine: A Small Country
Palestine is a small strip of land along the Mediterranean coast, covering an area somewhat smaller than Galicia. The climate and landscape are typically Mediterranean. Palestinian agriculture is very similar to Spanish dryland farming.
Three Major Regions of Palestine
Palestine was divided in Jesus’ time into several regions. The most famous were:
Galilee
The north was the richest and most fertile region of Palestine.
Samaria
In the center, it was also fertile, but the people were poor and had a traditional enmity with the Jews of Galilee.
Judea
To the south, it was the largest and poorest region of Palestine, and home to Jerusalem.
Apocryphal Gospels
There are other so-called apocryphal gospels, which focus on two moments of Jesus’ life: his childhood and his passion. They appeared centuries later and have never been recognized by the Church as the Word of God. Notable examples include the Gospel of the Nazarenes and the Gospel of Thomas.
Class Leaders and Social Groups
High Priest
Held the ultimate responsibility for the church and presided over the Sanhedrin (a body with legislative and executive power).
Sadducees
Belonged to the upper class of society.
Other Social Groups
Priests
Lived on offerings and sought jobs on their own.
Scribes
Their mission was to explain and update the law in terms of the new times.
Pharisees
Were pious men who knew the law and fulfilled it to the letter.
Zealots
They were an extremist movement.
Women
Women did not have the same civil and religious rights as men. They depended on their father until they married, around 12-14 years old, after which they depended entirely on their husband.
Excluded Groups
- Publicans (tax collectors)
- Patients, especially those affected by skin diseases like leprosy or mental illness (described as possessed)
- Gentiles (non-Jews) and public sinners (prostitutes, thieves, adulterers, etc.)
The Word ‘Evangelio’
The word ‘Evangelio’ is of Greek origin and means ‘good news’ or ‘news that causes happiness.’ What is the good news? For the first Christians, the good news is Jesus Christ: his life, his message, and his salvation.
The Gospels Are Not Biographies of Jesus
Although they contain facts and events from his life, the written Gospels were not written by biographers. Rather, they are witness testimonies of men who have believed in Jesus, aiming, in different ways, to announce and proclaim Jesus Christ’s salvation. The intention of the Gospels is to share this good news.