1. The historical background of the Gospels involved Israel being ruled by various foreign powers including the Persians, Greeks, Ptolemies, Seleucids, and eventually the Romans. 2. Under Roman rule beginning in 63 BC, different systems of leadership were tried including the appointment of client kings and later direct Roman prefects and procurators. 3. The political environment impacted Judaism and set the stage for the ministry of Jesus in the 1st century AD under Roman prefects like Pontius Pilate.