A journey from Sumeria to Germany and beyond…
7000 BC – Sumerians – (Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Arabia) the agricultural revolution had begun to spread from its place of origin on the northern fringes of the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic farmers started filtering into the Fertile Crescent itself. Although this area received insufficient rainfall to support agriculture, it bordered the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Known in ancient days as Mesopotamia (Greek for “between the rivers”), where the two rivers meet is Babylonia.
5600 BC – Great Flood occurred in the Black Sea region, which caused these early settlers to split apart and spread in multiple directions.
3500 BC – The highest authority was the triad of gods: the sky god Anu, the storm god Enlil, and the water god Ea, or Enki. The Sumerians believed that their ancestors had created the ground they lived on by separating it from the water.
3100 BC – The civilization in Sumer is associated with the beginning of the Bronze Age in the West, which in time spread to Egypt, Europe, and Asia. Sumerian towns and cities included Eridu, Nippur, Lagash, Kish, and Ur and eventually Babylon. The cities differed from primitive farming settlements. They were not composed of family-owned farms, but were ringed by large tracts of land. A priest organized work groups of farmers to tend the land and provide barley, beans, wheat, olives, grapes, and flax for the community.
2340 BC – Akkadians migrated north in conflict with Sumerian city-states, and built an Akkadian empire stretching over most of the Sumerian city-states and extending as far away as Lebanon. The Akkadians were Semites, they spoke a language drawn from a family of languages called Semitic languages the term “Semite” is a modern designation taken from the Hebrew Scriptures; Shem was a son of Noah and the descendents are Semites. Languages include Hebrew, Arabic, Assyrian, and Babylonian.
2125 BC – Sumerian city of Ur rose up in revolt, the Akkadian empire fell.
2000 BC – Mesopotamia came under the exclusive control of Semitic peoples. Developed the Ugaritic alphabet in cuneiform and gave way to the Hebrew language.
1900 BC – Amorites – believed that the king was a god and had a divine origin. The Amorites did not believe that life after death held any promise or threat.
1850 BC – Abraham has a “divine” revelation from “Yahweh” who asked him to leave his home and birthplace in Sumeria (Iraq), with wife Sarah and travel to Canaan where he will make him a great nation.
1800 BC – Abraham receives Hagar an Arab woman from the Egyptian Pharaoh who wants to marry Sarah but then learns that she is Abraham’s wife.
1775 BC – Abraham meets Melchidezek the king of Salem who blesses Abraham.
1750 BC – Sarah gives permission to Abraham to be with Hagar to bear a child.
1749 BC – Hagar gives birth to Ishmael.
1748 BC – Sarah discovers she is pregnant and gives birth to Isaac.
1740 BC – Sarah sends Hagar and Ishmael away to the desert where “God” promises her that Ishmael will be the father of a mighty nation.
1730 BC – Abraham is asked by Yahweh to sacrifice his son Isaac on the sacred stone at Mount Morai in (Jerusalem). Metatron/Shekinah stop him at the last moment.
1690 BC – Isaac names his first born son Jacob. Jacob’s Hebrew name means “Israel” his 12 sons were the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel that later developed into the Jewish nation. The name Jew derives from Yehuda (Judah) one of the 12 sons of Jacob (Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Yisachar, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyamin).
1600 BC – Jacob and his family travel to Egypt after a drought in Canaan and find his son Joseph who was tricked by his brothers and sold to the Ishmaelites. He rose through the ranks of Egypt. Jacob dies in Egypt. Levi the son of Jacob becomes the great grandfather to Moses.
1520 BC – Moses was born when the Pharaoh had given orders that no more male Hebrew children should be allowed to live. The Hebrew slaves had been reproducing so fast that the king felt threatened by a potential revolt against his authority. His mother placed him in a small basket made of papyrus among the reeds of the Nile. The daughter of Pharaoh came to the river to bathe, saw the basket, and had it brought to her. Moses was adopted by the king’s daughter.
1500 BC – Moses is raised in Pharoahs home has access to Mystery School teachings. The discovery of the tablets of el-Amarna shows how extensive the knowledge and use of writing throughout the time of Moses was and that the young prince learned Egyptian hieroglyphics, Akkad. Cuneiform, Ugaritic, which was almost identical with the Hebrew.
1500 BC – Zoroaster, the Prophet of Persia claimed that Ahura Mazda is the one supreme god who created seven archangels, called the Amesha Spentas. Persian mythology is a battle between good and evil. Each person chooses whether to follow the truth or lie. Mithra is seen as the Sun God, the God who brings light.
1480 BC – When he was forty years old Moses saw an Israelite being beaten by an Egyptian, he killed the Egyptian and buried the corpse in the sand. The next day he tried to act as peacemaker between two Hebrews, but his officers refused and he became aware that his act of the preceding day was known.
1479 BC – Moses left Egypt during the reign of Thutmose III into the peninsula of Sinai.
1478 BC – Moses married Jethro’s daughter Zipporah (Ishmaelite) becomes a Shepard.
1470 BC – During his years as a shepherd, Moses became familiar with the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula.
1431 BC – Moses is told to deliver his people from Egypt to the promised land in Caanen (Israel) which was told to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before.
1431 BC – Adonai (Lord) spoke to Moses from the midst of a burning bush, but Moses doubted that it was Yahweh (God) who spoke. He asked for a sign. Instantly his rod, which he cast on the ground, became a serpent.
1429 BC – Moses threatened with death by YAHWEH if he does not circumcise son. 1429 BC – Moses reunites with his brother Aaron at Mount Sinai in Arabia
1400 BC – Moses demands of Pharaoh, “Let my people go”. Pharaoh rejects the demand of this unknown God of Moses and Aaron. He shows his contempt of this God of the Hebrews by increasing the oppression of the slaves. Moses warns Pharaoh if he should refuse to let the people of Israel go.
1400 BC – Ten terrible plagues were visited upon the land of Egypt
1399 BC – Moses begins the Exodus from Egypt to Canaan. He took them to Sinai crossing the Red Sea. Moses led his people to the foot of the mountain, he stayed forty days and nights on the mountain receiving the sanctuary and worship of Jehovah, and the two tablets of stone which Moses broke in a rage after returning from the mountain to find a “Golden Calf”. A covenant was made with Israel and after a second stay of forty days upon the mountain Moses returned to the people, and supervised the creation of the Ark of the Covenant. He consecrated Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. He numbered the Levites and arranged for their special calling, gave directions respecting unclean persons, trespasses, Nazirites, he appointed Joshua as his successor
1360 BC – The people were camped in Moab awaiting the command to pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan.
1359 BC – Moses dies and was buried “in the valley in the land of Moab”
1358 BC – The people of Israel reach Canaan, the promised land.
1250 BC – The rule of the Israelites starts with the conquests of Joshua
1100 BC – Phoenicians – worshipped a triad of deities, each having different names and attributes depending upon the city in which they were worshipped, although their basic nature remained the same. They developed an alphabet and way of writing.
El – Protector of the universe. His name evolved into ”Elah,” “Elahona,” “Eloh,” “Elohaino,” “Eli,” “Eloi,” “Elohim” “Elyon” “Elijiah”- God Most High
Baal – Symbolized the annual cycle of vegetation
Astarte – The combined heavenly mother and earth mother.
Adonis – Adon. the Semitic word for master or ‘lord’ “ai” means ‘my’, therefore Adonai translates as ‘my lord’; similarly the meaning of Baal, with whom he shares traits, is also ‘lord’ or ‘master’. His mother was Astarte his lover was also Astarte, while his father is Phoenix, father of the Phoenicians.
Shekinah – The Shekinah appeared to Moses in the burning bush. The Shekinah also descended in the pillar of smoke that guided the Israelites through the desert. The Shekinah rested on Mount Sinai when the Ten Commandments were given to the children of Israel. The Talmud teaches that the Shekinah is everywhere. Shekinah in her male aspect manifests as Metatron/Enoch. Shekinah serves as an intermediary between man and God. The Zohar names her as “the way of the Tree of Life” her symbol is a dove.
1020 BC – King David reigns and brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem
1003 BC – King David establishes Jerusalem as Capital of the United Kingdom of Israel
1000 BC – Greek-speaking warriors brought clashes between the feminine Earth Goddess cults and the masculine Sky God invaders. Homer wrote the great epics, the Iliad, the story of the siege of Troy, and the Odyssey, the tale of Ulysses’s wanderings.
950 BC – King Solomon (David’s Son) builds Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem, Temple Mount Ark of the Covenant
931 BC – King Solomon dies civil war begins among Jews begins dividing the nation.
722 BC – The Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrian
717 BC – Assyrians – Syria – (Samaritans) seem to have adopted the same tolerance towards other religions, which allowed the Jewish faith to persist even after the Jewish state of Palestine was destroyed by the Assyrians. The Assyrians adopted the Hebrew god, Yahweh, into their religion. This eventually led to the schism between Jews and Samaritans. The Assyrians were Semitic people living in the northern reaches of Mesopotamia. Among the great mathematical inventions of the Assyrians were the division of the circle into 360 degrees and were among the first to invent longitude and latitude in geographical navigation. They also developed a sophisticated medical science which greatly influenced medical science as far away as Greece.
605 BC – Chaldeans – Nebuchadnezzar was the equal of all the great Mesopotamian conquerors, he not only prevented major powers such as Egypt and Syria from making inroads, he also conquered the Phoenicians and the state of Judah. In order to secure the territory of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar brought Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, the two kings of Judah and held them in Babylon. Under Nebuchadnezzar, the city of Babylon was rebuilt with great splendor; it would eventually become one of the most magnificent cities in the area of the Middle East and Mediterranean. The Chaldean Book of Numbers was created. Sabeanism was the religion of the ancient Chaldees. They worshipped the solar, lunar, and planets, stars and other celestial bodies symbols, astrologers and diviners.
El – Supreme Being
Ad – (Adonis) The primordial seed, the unrevealed. Another name for “Lord”
En – Soph – No-thing. The void. The beginning. Feminine
Anu – Anu was the earliest god of the city of Erech
Anata – Feminine counterpart to Anu
Bel (BAAL) – “Lord of the World,” father of the gods
Belta – Feminine counterpart to Bel
Hea – Hea was the maker of fate, Lord of the Deep, God of Wisdom and esoteric Knowledge, and Lord of the city of Eridu.
Davkina – Feminine counterpart to Hea
Mylitta – Virgin the female principle the Great Mother, called also Ishtar.
Mithra – Sun-god, was called “Triple” embodied the trinity of (Anu, Bel, Hea). Sometimes referred to as AD (Adoni) – Lord.
586 BC – Babylonian (Iraq) King Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem, destroys Solomon’s Temple, and exiles the Jews to Babylon.
560 BC – The Persians conquer Babylon, Cyrus the Great tells the Jews to return home
559 BC – Cyrus a devoted Zoroastrianism, believed that his religious duty was to bring about the promises of Zoroastrianism through active warfare. If the universe was an epic struggle between the forces of Ahura-Mazda (good) and the forces of (evil) Cyrus would bring Zoroastrianism to all the peoples he conquered; he would not force them to become Zoroastrian, though. For Zoroastrianism recognized that all the gods worshipped by other peoples were really not gods; some were underlings of Ahura-Mazda and some were servants of Ahriman. Cyrus saw as his mission the tearing down of religions for evil gods and the shoring up of religions of gods allied with Ahura-Mazda. As one aspect of the religious eclecticism of Zoroastrianism and Cyrus’s intentions, the conquest of Babylon led to the immediate freeing of the Hebrews who had been exiled in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Cyrus claimed to have been visited in a dream by Yahweh, the god of the Hebrews. Aligned with Ahura-Mazda, Yahweh demanded to be worshipped in the land of Judah; Cyrus freed the Hebrews with the specific intent that they reintroduce the proper worship of Yahweh in the Temple at Jerusalem.
538 BC – Return of the exiled Jews from Babylon, Persian Zoroasthrusta’a believe their God Ahura Mazda is aligned with Yahweh.
515 BC – Persia supports the rebuilding of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem by Jews
460 BC – Socrates the Greek philosopher focuses or morality and ethics
410 BC – Plato student of Socrates, Mysticism, Philosophy & Math, Platonic Solids
347 BC – Aristotle student of Plato brings new thought to Physics and Metaphysics
323 BC – Alexander the Great – Greek King conquers Persia, Egypt, Sumeria, Judah…
300 BC – Library of Alexandria was built, contained over a million scrolls
250 BC – Later Roman Gods and Goddesses
Sol (Mithras) – The Sun, Sol Invictus” The Sun god who dies and rises again, god of vegetation, born from stone. A Persian god. Especially popular among soldiers, often seen killing a bull (Cybelle). Celebrated on Dec 25th
Saturn (Cronus) – The Roman God of Harvest and Agriculture. The Saturnalia began December 17 and lasted for seven days.A harvest-home or winter solstice celebration marked by carnival, exchange of gifts, feasting and no work.
150 BC – Hebrews claim Temple Mount and religion is recognized as Judaism
125 BC – The school of Alexandria is established based on the teachings of Homer, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagorus, etc…
100 BC – Romans claim Temple Mount – King Herod rebuilds and expands
46 BC – Julian calendar came into force – dividing 365 days into 12 months
31 BC – Roman Empire Grows – All that was a part of Hellenistic Greece. Octavian, also known as Augustus Ceasar, defeated the rulers of Egypt, Anthony and Cleopatra (the last Pharoah) and ended the Hellenistic Era. The fall of Cleopatra is considered the pivotal moment that defines the end of Ancient Greece and Egypt. There was a gradual movement toward the need for a unified Religion They tried to instill in the minds of their “people” that the Emperors themselves were Gods associated with the Sun and its planets. The people hung onto their “cult” beliefs which began to conflict with Roman authority.
30 BC – Cleopatra VII last Pharaoh dies and Rome gains control of Egypt
7 – 4 BC – Yeshua was born to Mary of Arimathea and Joseph a carpenter they lived in Nazareth. Jesus spoke Aramaic, a Semitic language related to Hebrew, he also spoke Greek with Roman officials during his ministry. Jesus is the Greek form of Yeshua which is normally translated as Joshua; Christ is Greek for “the Messiah” or the “anointed one.”
8 – Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem a 12-year old Jesus wanders off from his family to discuss “The Torah” in the temple.
9 – Yeshua would be 13 when all Jewish males have a Bar Mitvah and becomes a “man”
10 – Yeshua being an inquisitive young man could have studied in Alexandria.
15 – Yeshua and his uncle Joseph of Arimathea (a wealthy trader of metals) traveled throughout the region and may have encountered Buddhist missionaries.
26 – John the Baptist, an ascetic who called people to repent and be baptized. This marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. After the baptism, several of John’s followers left to follow Jesus. Jesus then selected others until he had established a group of 12.
29 – Roman rulers were uncomfortable with the idea of a “Messiah” who would liberate the Jews from Roman rule, while Jewish leaders were disquieted by Yeshua’s shocking interpretations of Jewish law, his power with the people, and the rumor that he had been alluding to his own divinity.
30 – Yeshua is executed by the Roman occupying authorities in Palestine in the spring. “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left “(Luke 23:33).” Jesus’ body was buried in the grave belonging to Joseph of Arimathaea “(Matthew 27:57-60). There was the fact that anyone who “hung on a tree” was cursed. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). ”His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance” (Deuteronomy 21:23).
31 – After Yeshua’s death, his followers formed the Jewish Christian movement, centered in Jerusalem. They continued to sacrifice at the temple, circumcise their male children, follow Jewish kosher food laws, etc. They viewed Jesus as a human prophet.
The Disciples – Apostles
Simon Peter – son of Jona and brother of Andrew. The name Peter comes from the Aramaic term for “rock” and Simon comes from the Greek for “hearing.” The gospels describe Peter as coming from the fishing village of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.
Andrew – He and his brother Simon Peter were fisherman by trade. Andrew introduced his brother Peter to Jesus. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist before becoming a disciple of Jesus. Andrew preached in different regions and started a church in Constantinople.
James – Son of Zebedee and older brother to John, a fisherman.
John – Son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of James. He lived to the age of 94 and is credited with writing the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John. He was a disciple of John the Baptist before following Jesus.
Philip – from the city of Bethsaida, knew Andrew and Simon Peter. He was married and had children. He preached in Greece, Phrygia and Syria.
Bartholomew – Son of a farmer who preached in Armenia, also known as Nathaniel.
Thomas – “Doubting Thomas” who preached outside of the Roman Empire into India. Also known as Judas Thomas the “twin”. In the Nag Hammadi it is thought he may be the twin to Jesus.
Matthew/Levi – a tax collector for Rome who was a scribe, he knew Greek and Aramaic and is credited with recording the Sermon on the Mount. Wrote the first gospel Matthew
James the Just – brother to Jesus & leader of the church in Jerusalem, first “Bishop”
Thaddaeus/Judas – a farmer & uncle to Jesus. Preached in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Libya.
Simon – the zealot who may have been a Jewish “lawyer”
Judas Iscariot – Matthias – Judas is known as the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Gospel of Judas tells another story from a Gnostic perspective.
Mary Magdalene – The Apostle to the Apostles is often seen as Yeshua’s companion, possibly wife, an influential person who led a group of female disciples. She is best known for the “Gospel of Mary” which places her as a “Gnostic” or visionary teacher of Jesus. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:25-27). She anointed his body and prepared it for burial in the Tomb. Mary experienced a “divine” intervention with Jesus after his death: “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples “I have seen the Lord”. And she told them that he had said these things to her.’ (John 20:11-18, Mark 16:1-11, Luke 24:1-11, Matthew 28:1-10)
32 – Mary Magdalene splits from Peter and Andrew after she reveals her encounter with Jesus’s spirit, Matthew/Levi try to defend Mary. Mary begins to teach a more “visionary” version of what Jesus was teaching. She is identified with Gnostic belief.
34 – Paul – Saul of Tarsus, was a Jewish man dedicated to the Laws of Moses. Paul had a vision on the road to Damascus that convinced him of Jesus’ divinity. As a Greek-speaking Roman citizen familiar with gentile life, he spread the word of Jesus to Jews and non-Jews, or Gentiles. He believed that followers of Jesus did not need to be Jews before they became Christians. Jews were hesitant to share even a Eucharistic meal with non-observers. Circumcision was another major impediment to Christian unity. The situation caused a rift between Paul and Peter, and eventually led Paul to concentrate his efforts among the Gentiles. Paul makes no reference to the virginal conception by the mother of Jesus when speaking of Jesus’ origins and divinity. Paul never met Jesus, he was believed to be close to James, the brother of Jesus.
40 – Peter begins preaching in Rome.
44 – James son of Zebedee is beheaded and becomes the first Apostle to be martyred
49 – James, brother of Jesus holds a conference in Jerusalem with Paul, Barnabus, Peter, John, and Silas regarding the importance of circumcision. Decision is that Gentiles (non-Jews) did not need to be circumcised to join the early Jewish Christian church.
50 – Paul writes Corinthians I, Thessalonians I in Athens. Preaches on Mars Hill
52 – Paul travels to Antioch with Barnabus and eats with uncircumcised Gentiles, Peter is fine with it until others show up and apply pressure. A split occurs when Paul publicly corrects Peter for behaving in a way that is not according to the truth.
53 – Paul writes Galatians in Antioch.
57 – Paul travels and preaches throughout Asia Minor and writes The Book of Romans and Corinthians II
58 – Paul travels to Jerusalem to visit James but ends up getting arrested after a scuffle with Jews who do not approve that Paul brought four Gentiles into the Temple.
60 – Paul is a prisoner of Ceasar and is brought to Rome where he is guarded but able to write and receive visitors. He writes the book of Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Timothy I and Titus.
61 – Barnabus is stoned to death in Cypress becomes founder of the Cypriot Church.
61 – Coptic Orthodox Church is based on the teachings of Mark who traveled to Alexandria in Egypt. The name Copt comes from the early Greek name for Egypt, Aigyptos. The Coptic Church maintains its own Papal Leadership separate from that of Rome and is often categorized as one of the Eastern Orthodox faiths.
62 – James the brother of Jesus is stoned to death in Jerusalem as a Jewish heretic
63 – Paul is set free from prison and travels to Crete, Macedonia and Spain.
64 – The burning of Rome about two-thirds of the city. The blaze broke out near the Circus Maximus (where early Christians were being slaughtered for entertainment) for six days before it was extinguished. The fire reignited and burned for three more days. Nero used the destruction as a reason to claim more than 200 acres of the city center for the construction of an enormous palace and other projects
66 – Emperor Trajan fights the Jewish War in Egypt and Syria because Jews are destroying Roman temples dedicated to Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, Isis, Pluto. The rebellion started when Roman rulers placed Roman gods in Jewish religious places
67 – Paul is imprisoned again in Rome and writes Timothy II
67 – Roman Christians place Peter and Paul’s death in Rome. During the persecution of Christians by Nero, Peter and Paul were imprisoned. Peter said goodbye to Paul, who was to be beheaded the same day outside Rome. Peter was crucified upside down. Their martyrdom in Rome is instrumental for the primacy of Rome’s Christian church.
70 – Emperor Titus ends the four-year Jewish War against Roman rule. Titus’ legions destroyed most of Jerusalem and killed tens of thousands of Jews and destroyed the Second Temple. After the exile by the Romans, the Jewish people migrated to Europe and Egypt. (the Diaspora) This left Pauline and Gnostic Christianity as the dominant groups. Gentiles within the movement took over control of the former movement.
The First Four Gospels are written Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
Matthew/Levi –was a scribe/tax collector, he knew Greek and Aramaic and is credited with recording the Sermon on the Mount which he heard directly from Jesus. He wrote the actual Book of Matthew many years after the death of Jesus around 70 AD.
Mark – (also called John Mark) was a friend to the disciple Simon Peter and wrote this book based on the teachings of Simon Peter. It was likely composed around 70 A.D. in southern Syria. Mark does not consider the birth of Jesus worth mentioning.
Luke – was Paul’s Doctor and he is credited with writing the book of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles based on the teachings of Paul and James (Jesus’s brother) 63 AD
John – the Evangelist is thought to have shared his thoughts and memories with someone who later wrote it on his behalf around 100 AD.
100 – Romans celebrate Mithras as the Sun as God on Dec 25th, Winter Solstice.
100 – Gnostic Christians believed that Jesus was a spirit sent by God to impart knowledge to humans so that they could escape the miseries of life on earth. They regarded the Yahweh of the Hebrew Scriptures to be a short tempered, and vicious creator deity who performed genocides, and other evil acts. Gnosis is a Greek term for “knowledge” to describe those who believed that everyone has a divine connection with God and that such knowledge can be revealed by divine inspiration.
100 – Rome becomes the political center of the Roman empire. Large numbers of influential people, lived in and around Rome or passed through Rome on political, diplomatic, cultural, and commercial ventures.
110 – The word Catholic (katholikos – “throughout the whole” or “the four principal winds” is Greek – from Aristotle) The combination “the Catholic Church” is found for the first time a letter written by St. Ignatius. “Wheresoever the bishop shall appear, there let the people be, even as where Jesus may be, there is the universal (katholike) Church.”
115 – The term “pope,” means “father,” referring to any important and respected bishop.
120 – Ignatius of Antioch – described churches led by a single bishop as being assisted by the presbyters and deacons. A bishop didn’t call councils, didn’t issue encyclicals, and wasn’t sought after to resolve disputes about the nature of Christian faith.
132 – Bar Kokhba organized a revolt against Roman rule, but was killed. The Romans renamed Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina and Judea as Palaestina to obliterate Jewish identification with the Land of Israel. Jews expanded by immigrating to Europe.
135 – Romans build a temple to Aphrodite/Venus/Adonis – on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried in Jerusalem/ Aelia Capitolina. Adonis is the Roman “Lord”
140 – Christianity was punishable by death, Pardon was available to those willing to renounce their religion by offering sacrifice to the emperor or Roman gods. Honoring Rome’s gods and goddesses was considered a civic obligation and, at times, a law.
132 – Jewish leader Simon Bar Kokhba is claimed to be the true Messiah, instead of Jesus. Christian identity was further solidified by the desire to differentiate from him.
150 – Ptolemy presents a Geocentric view of Earth, Planets, Stars, Historian to Rome.
150 – St. Irenaeus – bishop of Lyon, in France, attempts to unify the church by declaring Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John as the only Gospels. He felt that the number four was symbolic of the four directions and the four winds. Irenaeus and others declared that the four chosen Gospels portrayed the true word of Jesus’ life and teachings. Irenaeus’ list became church policy and the foundation of the New Testament. The “lost” gospels were gradually eliminated including the Gospel of Judas. The betrayal enabled Jesus to transcend what Gnostics viewed as the physical world and return the spiritual realm. The Crucifixion, enabled by the betrayal, is necessary not so much for the forgiveness of human sins, but to free Christ’s divine self from its mortal cloak. Irenaeus supports the apostolic succession of bishops—the belief that all bishops can trace their authority through a succession of bishops stretching back to Jesus’ Apostles—as a proper way to refute Gnostics’ claims that their faith is truer to Jesus’ actual teachings.
180 – Pentaenus, begins the Catechatical School of Alexandria called the Didascalia. It was a part of the Library of Alexandria, which taught Mathematics, Medicine, Astronomy, Physics, and Philosophy. It was open to all faiths, including Gnostics, Jews, Romans and The New Testaments were translated from Aramaic and Greek to Coptic.
190 – Clement succeeded Pentaenus. Clement was the father of the Christian philosophy of Alexandria, well-versed in the Holy Scriptures as well as Greek philosophy. He loved the true gnosis (knowledge) he desired every Christian to be a true Gnostic. The first step in Gnosticism is “to know thyself”. His own writings concentrated on Christ who as the true Gnosis as the Redeemer of all. He focused on the redeeming work of Christ as the Light, Who shines upon our minds, that they might be illuminated. That illumination is kindled in baptism. This teaching he manifested in the Protreptikos. “The Logos is not hidden from any one. He is the general Light, who shines upon all. Therefore there is no darkness in the world. May we hurry to attain our salvation. May we hurry to attain our renewal.” He taught that just as God gave the Law to the Jews, so he gave philosophy to the Greeks as an instrument to lead them to God’s eternal Word (Logos). The Logos was incarnate in Jesus, the Son of God. The Holy Spirit functioned to attract the believer to God, to seek true knowledge. Such knowledge was the true gnosis, characterized by faith, not to be confused with the false gnosis which was not grounded in the Scriptures. The Catechetical School adopted a three step program.
1. Conversion of pagans to Christianity
2. Practicing the moral precepts
3. Instructing Christians to attain perfect knowledge of doctrine
Clement believed that Christian theology and Greek philosophy could be combined and reconciled. His ability to refute his critics with quotations and allusions to the classic poets and philosophers made him a powerful force for intellectual Christianity, as many of the pagans of his day saw Christians as uncultured and unintelligent. He neglected the gospel of Mark in comparison with the other evangelists. Clement cited from works like The Shepherd of Hermes or The Epistle of Barnabas which were not included in the eventual canon of Holy Scripture, but were held in high regard by the early Church.
200 – Plotinus and his disciple Poryphyry were neo-Platonic philosophers who wrote about Plato’s theories regarding the “trinity” The Platonic doctrine recognized three aspects of God: first cause, logos/mysterious word, soul of the universe.
200 – Jewish community moves to northern towns in the Galilee. The Head of Sanhedrin, Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi compiled the Jewish oral law, Mishna
211 – Septimus Severus, targets the Alexandrian Christians. Clement fled to Palestine, he did not return to Alexandria. He died in 215.
224 – Origen presided over the Alexandrian school and produced a version of the Old Testament, called the Hexapla. The book showed six versions of the texts side by side in columns, which combined several different Greek and Hebrew Old Testament texts. Origen’s writings were some of the most influential in the early church. He developed more fully the three levels of interpretation within a text that corresponded to three aspects of the human being. Literal, moral, and spiritual meanings corresponded to the body, soul, and spirit, in ascending order of importance. The literal meaning of the historical events was the least important for the Christian, just as the body was less important than the soul or spirit (two different things, psyche and pneuma, in Greek). Even Jesus was less important as a historical figure than as the mystery of Christ.Origen had an encyclopedic mind and wrote some 6,000 works, sometimes dictating to seven secretaries at a time. He wrote commentaries on almost every book of the Bible, sermons, treatises, letters, and apologies.
250 – Paul the Hermit became the first recognized Christian recluse. He fled to the desert to escape persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Decius. In Paul’s final years St. Anthony of Egypt may have visited him. Anthony was a dedicated ascetic and is considered the founder of the Christian monastic tradition. The once wealthy Egyptian renounced his fortune for a truly spiritual existence. The surviving copy of the Gospel of Judas, found not far from the site of Anthony’s retreat.
251 – Emperor Decius’s orders that all Christians offer sacrifice to Roman Gods, and to acquire official certificates from witnesses to their offering.
252 – Origen was arrested and thrown into prison. He was tortured so badly that he never recovered, he was released and died two years later in Tyre in his seventieth year. Origen’s work was declared erroneous in 404.
270 – St. Epiphanius – was bishop of Salamis (Constantia) in Cyprus. A former ascetic monk and a zealous persecutor of heresies, he was an energetic theologian who traveled widely, and argued fiercely, in his quest to defend the orthodox canon. Epiphanius considered Origen more of a Greek philosopher than a Christian. He believed Origen to be the primary source of many heresies, including Arianism.
280 – Persecution of Christians is rampant in the Roman Empire, including Egypt. The School of Alexandria housed many great authors and thinkers who helped shape the Christian Church. The Coptic language is directly descended from ancient Egyptian and employs a Greek alphabet.
284 – Roman Emperor Diocletian divided Rome between two emperors or Augusti, one for the east and one for the west. Each Augustus would appoint a Caesar, a deputy who was also their effective heir. Known as a tetrarchy the system was also supposed to prevent fighting over the succession, since the heirs were already nominated and in place.
294 – The first tetrarchy was established with Diocletian as the eastern Augustus with Galerius as his Caesar and Maximian Augustus of the west, with the father of the future Constantine I as Caesar. However, despite the division of power, Diocletian remained in overall control. A religious conservative, Diocletian was devoted to the old ways. He instigated a series of measures that became known historically as the ‘Great Persecutions’, forcing Christians to sacrifice to the old gods.
306 – Constantine became sole emperor of Rome. His mother Helena became a Christian and urged Constantine to ease up on the persecution of Christians. Christian doctrine at the time was muddled and inconsistent, especially when it came to the central question of Jesus’ relationship to God. Jesus was as eternally divine as the Father, said the Archbishop Alexander of Alexandria. Another group, named the Arians after their leader Arius the preacher, saw Jesus as a remarkable leader, but inferior to the Father and lacking in absolute divinity.
312 – Battled for control of the Western Roman Empire. Constantine faced Western Roman Emperor Maxentius at the Tiber River’s Mulvian Bridge. Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea reported that before the great battle Constantine saw a flaming cross in the sky bearing the words “in this sign thou shalt conquer.” Constantine did conquer, killing his enemy on a day that loomed large not only for the emperor but for the Christian faith.
312 – Edict of Milan – Eastern Roman Emperor Licinius ratified the Edict of Milan, which finally ensured tolerance for Christians throughout the Roman Empire.
313 – Roman Empire recognized Pauline Christianity as a valid religion. Gnostic Christianity was severely persecuted, both by the Roman Empire and the Pauline Christian churches. It was almost exterminated.
313 – Emperor Constantine donated a royal palace, known as the Lateran, as a residence for the Bishop of Rome. “bishop/popes” inhabited palace a thousand years.
324 – Constantine rebuilt his seat of his power in largely Christian Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople and today is Istanbul. The growth of a Christian ruling class under Constantine ensured the faith’s increasing and enduring prominence through the Roman, and later Byzantine, Empire.
325 – Council of Nicaea – Constantine convened and took part in the first meeting of Christian churches, the Council of Nicaea, in Turkey He hoped to help church leaders find common ground. Three hundred eighteen bishops assembled and established the equality of Father and Son, or universal statement of faith, to which all but two attending bishops agreed. The dissenting bishops were exiled, as was Arius. Orthodox Christians agreed that Jesus and God were equally divine and created of the same substance. They decided the date for Easter, the council settled on a moveable day that would never coincide again with the Jewsih holiday — the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Preachers could not to be married. Certain meats could not to be eaten on Sunday by bishops. Recognition of the bishops of Antioch, Constantinople, Alexandria, Rome, and Jerusalem all authority would be under them. The council also condemned the practice of money lending by clerics.
“We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen”
325 – Constantine directed his mother, Helena, to build churches in Jerusalem and Bethlehem upon sites that would commemorate the life of Jesus Christ.
326 – The demolition of the temple of Aphrodite occurred to build the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, to commemorate Jesus’s death and resurrection. During the excavation, Helena is alleged to have rediscovered the a tomb and a cross.
336 – Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built on the traditional site of both the Crucifixion and the adjacent tomb (or sepulcher) from which Jesus is believed to have risen from the dead. Worship at the site began soon after Jesus’ death, honoring Jesus’ physical resting place, as they would have in the Jewish tradition.
366-384 – Damasus I Bishop of Rome – was elected, but an Arian group wished to see Ursinus as bishop instead. During his reign as bishop of Rome, Damasus contended against the heresies of Apollinarianism and Arianism. He also commissioned the Latin translation of the Bible, which became the standard translation used by the church throughout the Middle Ages, and built a marble monument in honor of Peter and Paul. Damasus was the first to declare himself the “Apostolic See.”
367 – St. Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria who decreed to all Egyptian Christians that the only texts they should regard as sacred were the 27 Jewish and Christian books specifically listed by him. That list is the New Testament of today.
367 – Emperor Valentinian recognized Damasus and banished Ursinus from Rome.
379 – Theodosius was the Roman Emperor of the East and West. Born of Christian parents, he served in the military under his father, a general.
380 – Theodosius adopted the Nicaean as the Christian norm.
381 – Theodosius called a synod of 150 Catholic bishops to Constantinople. Theodosius’ originally allowed most pagans to worship in peace. But he forcibly expelled “heretic” Arian or Gnostic bishops from Christian churches who did not accept the Nicene Creed from the towns and cities of the East and demanded the transfer of all church buildings and property to the Catholic Church.
388 – Theophilus destroys pagan images created by Romans, Greeks, Egyptians
390 – Theodosius argued with Bishop of Milan, over the role of the church in imperial affairs but did not grant power to the church. Ambrose excommunicated Theodosius because he had ordered the execution of several thousand of the inhabitants of Thessalonica in response to the murder there of his “general” Butherichus.
392 – Theodosius sanctioned the destruction of the Serapeum at Alexandria. Theodosius II grandson of Theodosius ensured a continuity of policy which saw the emergence of Nicene Christianity as the orthodox belief of the vast majority of Christians throughout the middle ages. It also ensured the essential destruction of paganism and the emergence of Christianity as the religion of the state.
394 – Theodosius claimed the Christian God victorious over the pagan gods.
395 – After Theodosis’ death the empire begins to split into western and eastern halves, with the eastern half being much stronger.
384-399 – Siricius was the first to apply the term “pope” to himself and the first to issue a ruling with binding legal precedent – on disputes in the Church. It remains the Catholic view today that “in all his decrees the pope speaks with the consciousness of his supreme ecclesiastical authority and of his pastoral care over all the churches.”
402-416 – Innocent I, advanced the idea of the supremacy of the pope further by introducing the concept of “primacy of jurisdiction.” Alexandrian bishops had appealed to the pope to support them, Innocent wrote”nothing which was done even in the most remote and distant provinces should be taken as finally settled unless it came to the notice of this See, that any just pronouncement might be confirmed by all the authority of this See, and that the other churches might from thence gather what they should teach.”
402 – Emperor Honorius was unable to protect Rome from barbarian invaders. Honorius moved the capital from Rome to Ravenna, the stronghold port of the empire’s Adriatic Sea fleet. Rome’s run at the head of the empire was unequivocally over.
412 – St. Cyril became Patriarch of Alexandria and referred to Clement “as a man admirably learned and skilful, and one that searched to the depths all the learning of the Greeks, with an exactness rarely attained before.”
422 – Celestine I – wrote “Let no bishop be given to a community against its will; the consent and desire of the clergy, people, and nobility is required.”
440 – Roman Bishop – “Pope” Leo the Great – Has been called “the master builder of the papacy.” He is considered to be the first pope in the modern sense, for he put the idea of primacy of jurisdiction fully into practice. Leo took the title pontifex maximus, “chief priest,” which had been used by the Roman emperors in reference to the state cult. His writings included the idea that Jesus had made Peter and his successors the “rock” on which the church would be built, and that the bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter. Leo was instrumental in persuading Attila the Hun not to burn the city. The church became the defender of order, justice. The Roman bishop was instrumental in regaining the unity and stability that had been shattered by the invasions.
445 – Emperor Valentinian – said the Bishop of Rome was the law for all.
451 – The Fourth Ecumenical Council divided the Catholic Church from the Coptic/Orthodox Church. The decisions of this council concerned the nature of Jesus Christ. The Catholic definition states that Jesus Christ is the Logos incarnate, the Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. Becoming a real man in every way, but without sin. Jesus of Nazareth is one person in two natures – human and divine. He is fully human. He is fully divine. He is perfect God and perfect man. The Coptics believe that the Jesus is perfect in his divinity, and he is perfect in his humanity, his divinity and his humanity were united in one nature called “the nature of the incarnate word”. Copts believe that the two natures “human” and “divine” are united in one without confusion.
470 – Roman Empire is split between Eastern/Byzantine (Turkey, Greece, Palestine, Egypt) and Western/Italy (Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Britain, and North Africa)
476 – Germanic tribesmen overthrew Emperor Romulus Augustulus.
492 – Bishop Gelasius was the first to take the title “Vicar of Christ.” He taught a dualistic power structure in which the pope held ultimate spiritual authority while the emperor held temporal authority.
527 – St. Catherine’s is built on the side of Egypt’s Mount Sinai. Old Testament scriptures say that Moses received the Ten Commandments on this mountain, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims as well as Christians. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I founded St. Catherine’s at the traditional location of the biblical burning bush.
529 – Emperor Justinian closes the school of Alexandria.
570 – Mohammad is born in Mecca
590 – Bishop Pelagius II died, and Gregory was unanimously elected to take his place in a time of disastrous political upheaval, flooding and rampant disease.
590 – Gregory the Great was a monk, an abbot of St. Andrew’s. He organized the distribution of food to the needy, oversaw the rebuilding of the infrastructure in Rome which was decaying, and negotiated peace with the barbarian Lombards. Gregory was heavily influenced by St. Augustine and developed Augustinian ideas such as purgatory and the just war. He worked with Brunehilde of Austria to convert her people to the church. He helped to convert Pagans and Arians to the Catholic Church by incorporating some of their traditions. He began the tradition of having ashes placed on the foreheads at the beginning of lent. The Gregorian chant is named after him.
591 – Pope Gregory the Great makes a speech that identifies Mary Magdalene as the “sinful” women, Mary of Bethany, and leads people to believe she is an adulteress and prostitute repenting for her sins. This perception of Mary hurts women for 1400 years.
606 – Boniface III – the title “universal bishop,” the pope of Rome marked the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church.
621 – Ascension of Mohammed, known as “Miraj”, or “Stairway (Tree) to Heaven” began when Mohammed fell asleep on a carpet at his cousin’s place
622 – Muhammad is believed to have been invited to Medina, and it soon started to be called Medina, ‘the city of the messenger’.
625 –Persians control Jerusalem bringing Roman Empire to the brink of destruction
626 – Many of the inhabitants of Medina convert to Islam
632 – Muhammad dies – he succession is in conflict
691 – Dome of the Rock is built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by Caliph Abd el-Malik on the grounds of the destroyed Jewish Temple. As a place of worship because Muslims did not have access to Mecca or Medina due to wars with Persians.
715 – Muslim’s built a second Mosque on the temple mount in Jerusalem and attach it to Mohammed’s night journey in Mecca because in his vision he came to Jerusalem to ascend the Tree to heaven.
756 – Pepin the Short (father of Charlemagne) donated land to the Roman church. This “Donation of Pepin” established an alliance between the pope and the rulers of the future Holy Roman Empire. This alliance culminated with the crowning of Charlemagne as emperor on Christmas Day, 800 AD.
700 – The Christian Church absorbed much of the Celtic beliefs. Many Pagan Gods and Goddesses became Christian saints; sacred springs and wells were preserved and associated with saints; many Pagan temple sites became the location of cathedrals. Anglo-Saxon England converted from Norse paganism to Christianity and absorbed popular customs of Easter and Christmas.
BRIGHID – Christians made Brighid a Christian saint.
CERNUNNOS – born at the Winter Solstice, marries the Goddess Beltane and dies at the Summer Solstice. He is the dark aspect of the Green Man, Together they represent birth, life, death, rebirth.
EOSTRE – Goddess of Spring, Rebirth, Fertility and New Beginnings
HEL – Goddess of the Dead and the Afterlife
The Celtic year was marked by two great doorways and the eight spokes of a wheel.
Dec 21st – Winter Solstice – Birth of Cernunnos – was celebrated on Dec 25th
Feb 2nd – Imbolc – mid-winter – prophecy and purification – Festival of Brighid
March 20th – Spring Equinox – rebirth – Festival of Eostre – Passover – Easter
May 1st – Beltane – mid-spring – planting and fertility – May Day
June 21st – Summer Solstice – Fire festivals – Birth of the Green Man
Aug 2nd – Lammas – mid-summer –First Harvest
Sept 22nd – Fall Equinox – gathering and storing
Oct 31st – Samhain – summers ends. Became All Hallows Eve or All Saints Day, now celebrated as Halloween. Underworld journey to ancestor spirits.
769 – Pope Stephen IV – decided at a synod that only the clergy could vote in elections, with the role of the people reduced to affirmation. Sometimes they could make their feelings known with enough strength to overturn the decisions of their leaders. The riots following the imprisonment of Benedict I led to his reinstatement, but this was a generally rare occurrence.
800 – Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas day to solidify the imperial protection of the papacy.
800 – Islam conquers 50% of what was the Roman Empire
800 – Germanic invaders pillaged many parts of Rome, including the catacombs. Popes of the era removed the valuable relics of martyrs and saints for safekeeping.
858 – 867 – Pope Nicholas I was called a “pornarchy”
897 – 955 17 Popes bought their positions and were rarely qualified to hold them, breach of clerical celibacy was common. Some married, but most just took concubines.
1085 – Gregory VII demanded that all priests be celibate. He was also involved in the famous investiture struggle with Henry IV that ended with Henry standing barefoot in the snow for three days until he was forgiven by the pope.
1095 – Pope Urban II began the first crusade, was the threat to Constantinople from the Turkish invasion of Asia Minor the fate of Jerusalem and thereby the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was of concern if not the immediate goal of papal policy. The idea of taking Jerusalem gained more focus as the Crusade was underway.
1099 – Crusaders capture Jerusalem slaughtering Muslims, Baldwin I becomes the King of Jerusalem
1129 – Knights Templar are established to protect treasures from Solomon’s Temple
1150 – Hildegard of Bingen, a German nun becomes a Christian Mystic draws Mandalas
1171 – Saladin abolishes Shi’ites from Egypt proclaiming a return to Sunni Islam
1187 – Saladin leads attack against the Crusaders wins Jerusalem – Jews & Muslims in to worship
1192 – Richard the Lion Heart fails to capture Jerusalem, Saladin permits Christians in to worship
1193 – Death of Saladin; most of Crusader states have turned to Islam.
1200 – Kabbalah is committed to paper after years of secrecy – Tree of Life
1200 – Innocent III taught that the Pope stands between God and man as a mediator and vicar of Christ. The Pope also showed his political power on several occasions: he caused King Philip II to take back his queen because he had unjustly divorced her; he caused another king to get a divorce because his wife was too closely related to him; and King Peter of Aragon received his kingdom as a prize from the pope.
1229 – Holy Roman Crusaders reclaimed Jerusalem for Christianity
1244 –Turks recapture Jerusalem – transferred power to the Ottoman Turks
1300 – Boniface VIII was known to wear imperial robes and a richly jeweled crown, and cry, “I am Caesar. I am emperor.” He taught that the pope held both the temporal and spiritual swords, meaning that he is the ultimate authority in both realms. Issued Unam Sanctum declaring every human being is subject to the Roman Pope.
1384 – John Whyclyffe begins movement to create an English translation of the Bible
1407 – English translations of the Bible are deemed illegal by the Roman Catholic Church. People who have them are seen as heretics.
1415 – Founder of the Moravians was burned at the stake for heresy by Roman Catholic
1431 – Joan of Arc is burned at the stake at 19 years old. She was a French peasant girl who led the French Army to victories. She was turned into a Saint 25 years later.
1437 – The First Bible is printed using the Guttenburg Press in Germany in Latin
1450 – Russian Orthodox Church splits from Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church
1457 – The Moravian Church begins in near Prague, in Eastern Bohemia.
1492 – Queen Isabella-King Ferdinand unify Spain as Christian expel Jews & Muslims
1519 – Lutheranism is founded based on the theology of Martin Luther in Germany and his anger with the Roman Catholic Popes and their beliefs on celibacy.
1520 – William Tynedale creates an English translation of the Bible and goes into exile in the Netherlands. English Bibles are still banned in England.
1522 – Martin Luther creates a German translation of the Bible.
1534 – King Henry VII breaks from Rome and creates the Anglo Saxon Church of England. He did this in part so he could divorce his wife, something the Roman Catholic Church would not allow. This creates many conflicts within Christianity both Catholic and Protestant.
1552 – Calvinism is attributed to Protestant Reformer John Calvin from France
1557 – John Knox creates the First Presbyterian Church in Scotland
1564 – Puritans form in England – offshoot to Calvanism, Thomas Cartwright founder
1582 – Pope Gregory XIII – Gregorian calendar, separates Pagan Holidays primarily Christmas and the winter Solstice. (Germans celebrated Cernunnous on the Solstice)
1609 – Galileo builds telescope – defends Copernicum model is put under house arrest
1609 – John Smyth creates the First Baptist Church in England
1620 – Mayflower lands at Plymouth, MA bringing Pilgrims – Puritans are fundamentalist protestant believers who feel that they are persecuted in England.
1650 – Quakers – The Religious Society of Friends in England, honors the “Inner Light”
1692 – Salem Witch trials in Massachusetts, spurred on by Puritans from England
1693 – Amish Mennonites form in Switzerland in the Alsace region
1730 – Evangelicalism begins as a Protestant Christian movement in Great Britain
1738 – Rev John Wesley creates the Methodist Church in England
1776 – United States declares its independence from England
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation
1779 – Universalist Church of America is created – inclusive of all faiths
1784 – Episcopal Church forms in US – forced to separate from Church of England
1800 – Phineas Parkhurst Quimby begins “New Thought” era – we are god – oneness
1804 – Church of Christ is organized in America
1825 – American Unitarian Association is formed to unite different faiths
1830 – Joseph Smith establishes Church of Latter Day Saints “Mormons” in New York
1848 – Spiritualism begins in NY by two Methodists sisters Margaret & Catherine Fox
1857 – Allan Kardec starts “Spiritism” movement in France – connecting with spirits
1859 – The Codex Sinaiticus is found. The oldest known Greek codex, a biblical manuscript believed to date back to the fourth century It includes much of the Old Testament and an entire New Testament, as well as the Letter of Barnabas, an early treatise on how Christians should interpret the Old Testament, and an incomplete version of the Shepherd of Hermas, a second-century Christian writing focusing on the forgiveness of sins. The codex was written down by three different scribes who were most likely early Christian monks. The codex resided for many centuries in St. Catherine’s monastery on Egypt’s Mount Sinai. In 1933 the Soviet government sold the codex to the British Museum, where much of it remains.
1863 – Seventh Day Adventist are founded in New England
1886 – The Gospel of Peter is found one of several non-canonical Gospels that were in circulation during Christianity’s formative early centuries. It was likely penned in the middle of the second century. The Gospel of Peter was considered heretical for several reasons, all concerned with the last week of Jesus’ life. Surviving copies of the Gospel begin with Jesus’ appearance before Pontius Pilate (who is largely exempted from guilt in this text) and end with Jesus’ resurrection. Yet depictions of these events, particularly the resurrection, are somewhat at odds with more familiar scripture. The Gospel of Peter maintains that Jesus’ resurrected body only appeared to be flesh and blood but was not. This view is at odds with the core Christian belief in Jesus’ physical resurrection. The text also describes additional witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, including Roman soldiers and Jewish officials who shared responsibility for the event. Scholars are nearly unanimous, in the belief that St. Peter himself is not the author of this work, despite first person references meant to give that impression. It had rested for many centuries in an Egyptian monk’s grave.
1879 – Charles Taze Russell forms the Jehovah’s Witness in Pittsburgh
1879 – Mary Baker Eddy begins the Church of Christ, Scientist in Mass “love & healing”
1880 – Helen Blavatsky begins the Theosophical Society – honoring all religions
1890 – The Gospel of Mary is found. The second- or third-century Gospel’s “Mary” is generally believed to be St. Mary Magdalene, though she is not positively identified in the portions of the text that survive. Mary, who takes on the role of a teacher.
1900 – Leo Tolstoy, Russian – writes War & Peace, The kingdom of God is Within You
1917 – Bristish take over control of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire
1918 – World War 1 Creates German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires
1942 – British responded to Arab pressure and ended Jewish immigration to Palestine. 1944 – Nazi regime in Germany killed 6 million Jews during the Holocaust.
1944 – Billy Graham begins American Evangelical Protestantism worldwide
1945 – Second World War and the dismemberment of the British, French, Dutch and Spanish empires gives the rest of the Islamic world its independence.
1945 – Nag ‘Hammadi’ texts are found. An Arab peasant unearthed an ancient Egyptian Christian texts in a sealed earthen jar near the Upper Egypt. Dating back to the fourth century, the 13 papyrus codices are copies of documents written during the second and third centuries. The texts offer alternative versions of Jesus’ life and teachings, including the Gospels of Thomas, Peter, and Philip and the Gospel of Truth. Other documents include a compilation of sayings attributed to the born-again Jesus, prayers, and theological discourses. The long-hidden trove of Gnostic writings dramatically increased contemporary knowledge of these sects’ ancient ideas.
Before the discovery, Gnosticism was known only from the references in works by orthodox Christian scribes, such as Irenaeus, who had refuted Gnostic “heresies” in great detail. The ancient texts of Nag ‘Hammadi were possibly hidden during an era when Christian leaders were striving to solidify the New Testament canon and stamp out alternative Gospels and writings that were considered heretical. The library also includes priceless non-Christian works, such as a copy of Plato’s Republic.
1945 – The Gospel of Thomas emerged from the 20th-century finds at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, and has probably generated more attention and debate than any other text from that ancient trove. The Gospel is thought to be the work of St. Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles. It includes some 114 sayings or teachings of Jesus. The Coptic, or Egyptian Christian, text reflects early Christian philosophies that deemphasized the events of Jesus’ life and instead stressed his teachings.
1947 – The Dead Sea scrolls – leatherbound papyrus manuscripts include hundreds of distinct works. Hebrew writings about the Holy Land from the third century B.C. to the second century A.D., including the birth and growth of Christianity and the new faith’s religious and social relationships to Judaism. To date the area has yielded scrolls from 11 different caves. The finds include a nearly complete Hebrew Old Testament Bible, which has allowed scholars to date the existence of that text to no later than A.D. 70. In addition, the Copper Scroll was a sort of archaeological treasure map guiding scholars to dozens of other hidden texts. And the Temple Scroll contained detailed construction plans for the Temple of Jerusalem. Many scholars believe that the documents belonged to a Hebrew religious sect that lived in the area during the first century A.D.
1949 – Jerusalem is declared the Capital of the State of Israel
1950 – New Age movement begins – honors individual approaches to spiritual practice
1957 – United Church of Christ is formed in US
1961 – Unitarian – Universalists merge together to form one religion
1967 – Muslims, Jews and Christians given access to their Holy places within Jerusalem
1998 – The “long lost” Gospel of the Savior is a Coptic manuscript, a copy of a work originally penned in first- or second-century Egypt. The Gospel of the Savior is one of several Gnostic Gospels to shed light on the diversity of views held by early Christians.
2000 – Pope John Paul II apologies to purify the soul of the Roman Catholic church by making a sweeping apology for 2,000 years of violence, persecution and blunders.
From the altar of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome he led Catholicism into unchartered territory by seeking forgiveness for sins committed against Jews, heretics, women, Gypsies and native peoples. “Never again,” he said. Centuries of hate and rivalry could not recur in the third millennium. “We forgive and we ask forgiveness. We are asking pardon for the divisions among Christians, for the use of violence that some have committed in the service of truth, and for attitudes of mistrust and hostility assumed towards followers of other religions.” Defying warnings from some theologians that the unprecedented apology would undermine the church’s authority, the 79-year-old pontiff asked God to forgive the persecution of the Jews. “We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood.” Wearing the purple vestments of lenten mourning, the Pope sought pardon for seven categories of sin: general sins; sins in the service of truth; sins against Christian unity; against the Jews; against respect for love, peace and cultures; against the dignity of women and minorities; and against human rights. Ethnic groups had endured “contempt for their cultures and religious traditions”. Women were “all too often humiliated and marginalised”. Trust in wealth and power had obscured the church’s responsibility to the poor and oppressed.
2002 –An ossuary (funeral) box is found in Jerusalem with Aramaic writings identifying it as the “Yaakov (James) son of Joseph, brother of Yeshua (Jesus).
2006 – Gospel of Judas was found after 1,600 years. The fragile codex spent 20 years in a cardboard box and was shopped to potential buyers in Egypt, Europe, United States.
