The prophesied rise of the Romans comes on the heels of a vanquished Greek Empire and forces the overthrow of the Hasmonean Dynasty, which ruled Judea for a hundred years. With the arrival of the promised Messiah, the nation of Judah receives, and largely rejects, the Messianic message, leading to a shift in the movement and the creation of the leavened Christian religion.
Emperor Nero rises to power, and, needing someone to blame for the suffering caused by his excesses, persecution of Christians begins under his reign. This leads to Christian apologetics and martyrdom, as well as a new policy dictating how and when Christians should be punished for their obstinacy. Thus, the martyr becomes a hero and model of Christian perfection, and someone to be venerated as a saint.
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Keywords: Diocletian, pliny the younger, epistle to diognetus, nero, persecution, martyr, Polycarp, Ignatius, Antioch, Smyrna, catechumenate, catechumen, trajan, tacitus, churchianity, two thousand years of leaven, history of Christianity, church history, Hebrew history, kp, kingdom preppers
