1.travel by sea a.fairly inexpensive b.rooms were only for crew or very wealthy c.sailed from port...

New Testament

History and

Geography

New Testament History and Geography

ECONOMIC LIFE

New Testament History and GeographyAgora

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

1. Travel by Seaa. Fairly inexpensiveb. Rooms were only for crew or very wealthyc. Sailed from port to port and primarily during the dayd. Shipping stopped for wintere. Only large grain ships from Egypt ventured into the open seaf. Little risk of piracy under the empire

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

2. Travel by Landa. Roman Roads

i Primarily built to speed the movement of military troops

ii Some Roman roads and bridges are still in use today!

iii Roman roads in the New Testamento Via Appia traveled by Paul on his way to Rome

from Puteolio Via Egnatia traveled by Paul from Neapolis to

Thessalonica b. Accommodations

i Inns were filthy and corrupt, usually brothelsii Hospitality was thus a great value

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

Alcantara, Spain

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

Trade Routes that were significant in the New Testament

New Testament History and Geography

Coinage in the Roman World

New Testament History and Geography

Coinage in the Roman World

B. Coinage

BRONZE

SILVER

GOLD

New Testament History and Geography

Taxation in the Roman World

C. Taxation1. Taxation and Census (Luke 2:1)2. Types of Taxes (Tributa)

a. Tributum Soli on agricultural produceb. Tributum Capitis on other forms of property

i Matthew 17:25 ii Matthew 22:19

New Testament History and Geography

Taxation in the Roman World

C. Taxationc. Vectigalia (telos in Matthew 17:25) indirect taxes

i Portoria or “frontier dues” most importantii Solely for revenue, not to control production

or tradeiii Collection of these were contracted out to

publicanio A certain sum was agreed to go to the

governmento Amounts above sum were profit for the

collectoro This system encouraged corruption

(Imagine that!)

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

3. Tax Collectors or Publicansa. Publicani were Romans from the equestrian (knight)

classb. The contemptuous attitude toward tax collectors was

not due so much to financial extortion as to the perception of aiding the enemy

c. The “tax collectors” in the gospels were not publicani

i Zaccheus and Matthew likely collected taxes on the trade routes through Jericho and Galilee respectively

ii Both were likely under the employment of Herod Antipas

New Testament History and Geography

Style in the Roman World

A. Clothing1. Chiton (Gk.) = tunic (Lt.) = undergarment

a. Worn by women and menb. Worn by workers on the jobc. Matthew 5:40, Luke 6:29,

John 19:23, Jude 1:23

Doric Ionic

New Testament History and Geography

Style in the Roman World

A. Clothing2. Himation (Gk.) = pallium or palla (Lt.) = outer garment

a. Worn over the chitonb. Iconic attire of Christc. Eventually worn by Greek women in place of Peplos

i Peplos was tubular piece of clothii Himation was rectangular piece of cloth

3. Toga (Lt.)a. Primarily worn by upper-class Romansb. Senatorial class had a purple stripe on the edge of toga

New Testament History and Geography

Trade and Travel in the Roman World

B. Hair and Head Coverings1. Veils were more like hoods

a. Worn by women whenever out of the houseb. Worn by men during certain religious ceremonies

2. Elaborately braided hair was worn by the rich (and the want-to-be-rich) 1 Timothy 2:9