Would you be able to tell the difference between a counterfeit $100 bill and the real thing? Are you aware of the counterfeit claims of the world’s most powerful leader of the time when Jesus was born? The Christmas story in Luke begins “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” (Luke 2:1) This is a reminder of who was ruling Judea and the world around it when Jesus was born. Caesar Augustus was the first Roman emperor and the founder of the Roman Empire – sounds pretty important. Is he […]
Tag Archives: Julius Caesar
Summer Gods
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 I didn’t intend to take the whole summer off for my blog, but that’s how it turned out. I have something to think about as the summer ends. I’ve seen plenty of temples in the places I’ve traveled around the ancient world. The gods were worshiped everywhere. Pervasively, the worship of the Roman emperors grew, starting at the end of the Roman Republic with Julius Caesar. In the eastern Mediterranean, he was called god and savior. About four months after his death, a comet appeared in the sky, interpreted to […]