In this final class on the ancient empires of the Bible we will look at the early Etruscan origins of Rome, the Fall of the Roman Republic and the Rise of the Roman Empire. We will also consider several ways in which the Roman Empire paved the way for the early spread of the gospel and several practical 21st century lessons we can learn from Rome.

1. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Understanding the People of
the Biblical World
One of God’s
“Rosetta Stones”
for Understanding God’s Word

2. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The
Romans

3. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Genesis 10
NoahJaphethTiras
2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer,
Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal,
Meshech, and Tiras.

4. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld

5. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
An Oversimplified Timeline of the Bible
(+ or - 100 years)
2000 BC
Abraham
1500 BC
Moses
1000 BC
David
500 BC
Babylonian
Captivity
4 BC
Birth of
Jesus
Etruscans Romans

6. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The
Etruscan
Language

7. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
No Etruscan
Literature has
survived. Most
of our
knowledge of
this language
comes from
grave markers.

8. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Claudius’
History of the
Etruscans

9. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The Fall
of the
Etruscans

10. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Rembrandt’s
Lucretia

11. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
(Patricians)

12. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The
Structure
of the
Republic

13. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Family Values (Mos Maiorum)

14. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The
Disintegration
of the Roman
Family
Frequent and
Easy Divorce

15. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The
Disintegration
of the Roman
Family
An Extreme Movement of
Women’s Liberation

16. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The
Disintegration
of the Roman
Family
An Unfortunate Decline in
Parental Authority

17. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The Transition from the
Republic to the Empire

18. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
4 Causes of the Fall of the Republic
Nick Rauh – Perdue University
1.The Rise of Popular
Tribunes. (133-121 B.C.)

19. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
4 Causes of the Fall of the Republic
Nick Rauh – Perdue University
2. The Rise of
Private Armies.
Sulla

20. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
4 Causes of the Fall of the Republic
Nick Rauh – Perdue University
3. The First Triumvirate
(59-53 B.C.)

21. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
The First Triumvirate

22. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
4 Causes of the Fall of the Republic
Nick Rauh – Perdue University
4. Caesar’s
Dictatorship.
(46-44 B.C.)

23. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Octavius
(Augustus)
Reigned from
Jan. 16, 27 BC–August 19
AD 14

24. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld Augustus’ Family Laws
•Criminalized Adultery.
•Incentivized Marriage
and Childbirth.
•Taxed prostitutes and
forbade the paying of
such workers with any
coin bearing his image.

25. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Reigned:
AD 14 - AD 37
Tiberius

26. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
How Rome “Paved” the Way for
Christ
•The Roman policy of continuing
to favor Greek as a language of
trade was significant in the
spread of the gospel.

27. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
How Rome “Paved” the Way for
Christ
•The Romans built an extensive
network of roads which were
used by the early believers in
spreading the gospel.

28. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
How Rome “Paved” the Way for
Christ
•The “Pax Romana” (Roman
Peace) provided a period of
stability within the empire
which also favored the growth
of the early church.

29. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
Galatians 4:4-5 (NLT)
4 But when the right time came, God
sent his Son, born of a woman,
subject to the law. 5 God sent him to
buy freedom for us who were slaves
to the law, so that he could adopt us
as his very own children.

30. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
What Practical Lessons Can we
Learn From the Romans?
1.The disintegration of the
Nuclear Family will destroy
any society, no matter how
strong!

31. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
What Practical Lessons Can we
Learn From the Romans?
2.Legislation alone cannot
restore morality to a society.
Only a genuine turning to
God results in real
reformation!

32. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
What Practical Lessons Can we
Learn From the Romans?
3. Power corrupts and
absolute power tends to
corrupt absolutely!
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

33. ThePeopleoftheBiblicalWorld
History Shaped in Cradles