First Century Lifestyle in Palestine

This information was taken from several sources as a compilation of what life was like for Jews and Romans in first century AD Palestine.


Jewish Lifestyles and Beliefs:
Government: The Jewish religious and governing system was divided between two parties: the Pharisees – the ‘people’s party’, taught the law and traditions of Israel’s patriarchs, and were strictly conforming to Jewish law; and the Sadducees – the wealthy and conservative leaders who rejected the traditions in favor of political and religious cooperation with the Romans. The Jewish people accepted their freedom in both their governing system, and in maintaining their own traditions, yet the Roman government required that everything be ultimately subject to Roman authority. For example, Jewish citizens were under the authority of the Jewish court system (the Sanhedrin), yet all rulings for the death penalty were sent to the Roman government. In the hierarchy of power, the Jewish self-government reported to the authority of the local Roman government (King Herod), which reported to Rome (Emperor Caesar).
Subjugation: For thousands of years, the Jewish people were primarily subject to foreign rule, with only brief periods of independence. The Jews held much distrust and often hatred for the Roman Empire – they were unwilling subjects. The Jews understood the world to be divided into two types of people: Jewish and Gentile (non-Jew). The Jews worked hard to disassociate themselves from the Gentiles.
Religion: The Jewish people believed in one God (monotheism) who was invisible and could not be portrayed. In contrast, the surrounding cultures believed in many gods (polytheism) who could be represented by images or idols. The Jewish people were seeking a “Messiah” or savior – they were waiting for the leader God had promised who, according to their understanding, would bring them spiritual renewal and political freedom from centuries of foreign oppression, currently from the Roman Empire.
Superstition: The culture of first century Israel was very interested in the supernatural – it was common for people to believe in curses and be controlled by superstitions.
Education: For the first century Jew, religion, law, history, ethics and education were inseparable. Through both written (Torah) and oral (Mishna) law, teaching was passed from generation to generation. Rabbi's (teachers) and synagogues were highly esteemed aspects of society. The Jewish education emphasized law, ethics, and history for the purpose of right, moral living. In contrast, the Greek education system called “gymnasium” emphasized science, arts, linguistics and bodily training. For Jews, the “Torah”, translated “law” was the source of all learning – religion, history and ethics. The Torah includes the first five books of the modern Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The “synagogue” translated “house of assembly” was the Jewish place of both worship and education. Young Jewish boys started formal education at the age of 5, learning to read and write. At age 10, boys would start to learn the Jewish law. Formal education was complete by age 18. Young girls would learn at home from their mothers and other women. Young men were educated by a Rabbi (teacher) from the local synagogue. Young men, seeking advanced education as “scribes” or doctors of the law, could study a broader range of topics with a religious motivation in mind. At the highest level of education, a scholar would go to a great or renowned teacher and become a disciple, often learning through daily discussions and activities. These men were known according to who their teachers were– “from the school of….” Jesus studied at the synagogue – in one instance when Jesus was 12 years old as recorded in Jesus’ biography by Luke, the author says “They (Jesus’ parents) found him (Jesus) in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.”
Economy: The economy of first century Israel was supported by three key segments: agriculture of olives, figs, grains, dates, and vineyards; trade fostered by Israel’s key location on the Mediterranean Sea; and large government building projects sponsored by King Herod. The Roman government required heavy taxation of its people. Tax collectors were local employees considered to be outcasts and traitors. Jews were also required to give sacrifices to the temple – sometimes in the form of money, and usually by purchasing sacrificial animals to offer to the priests. Traveling teachers made their living by traveling from town to town and accepting gifts from those who came to hear them. During the first century, the temple courtyards had often become a marketplace – local merchants would sell sacrificial animals at excessive cost in order to turn a profit from the tourists or religious seekers that would come to the temple.
Classes: The upper class was made up of the temple priests and priestly aristocracy (including the Sadducees – a Jewish sect). The middle class was comprised of traders and merchants, artisans (stonecutters, masons, sculptors) and craftsman (metal, wood, cloth dye). The Pharisees (another Jewish sect), sages, scribes, and teachers were also a part of the middle class. The lower class was made of laborers (weavers, stone carriers, slaves (non-Jewish person taken into slavery because of debt), and the unemployable (lepers, blind, insane, crippled, etc.)
Population: The village area of Nazareth was populated mostly by Jews, but also with some diversity of Syrians, Greeks, and Romans. The major city of Palestine was Jerusalem, which was more cosmopolitan and contained far greater ethnic diversity.
Language: The common language in the Roman Empire was Greek. However, at the time it was common for Jews to also use Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin. Jesus’ every day language was Aramaic.
Village Life: The hub of a village was the marketplace and shops. And for a Jewish village, the synagogue was a central meeting place, and the seat of the local Jewish government.
Housing: Houses were all purpose 1-2 room squares, with dirt floors, flat roofs, low and narrow doorways, and front wooden doors. Often people would sleep on flat roofs during hot nights. The houses were arranged around a central shared courtyard where neighbors performed daily chores (cooking, laundry, etc.) in each other’s company. Water was carried in from a public well and stored in a courtyard cistern. Lighting was provided by earthenware oil lamps. People slept on mats, and owned limited personal goods.
Food: The woman’s daily job included preparing food for her family – for example, they would grind grain, bake bread, milk the animals, and make cheese. Typically a family ate two meals: Breakfast – light or small amounts of food taken to work; and Dinner – A large meal with cheese, wine, vegetables and fruits, and eggs. As for meat, fish was most common, followed by chicken or fowl. Red meat (beef and lamb) was served only on special occasions, and pork and crustaceans were absolutely forbidden. Most foods were boiled or stewed in a big pot and seasoned with salt, onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, mint, dill, and mustard. Food was sweetened with wild honey or syrups from dates or grapes. Food was generally served in a common bowl and eaten by dipping in with the fingers.
Clothing: The undergarment was called a “tunic”. The outer garment was called a “mantle” – it was loose fitting with fringes, bound by blue ribbon. Men wore a belt – a four-inch wide leather belt or cloth “girdle”. If one was wearing only an undergarment, then he was said to be “naked” or “stripped”. If one was wearing only an undergarment (tunic) and belt, they were said to be wearing a “loincloth”. The phrase “to gird your loins” meant that the tunic was pulled up between the legs and tucked into the belt. People also wore sandals on their feet, and a white cloth over their head, hanging to their shoulders. This cloth protected them from the sun.
Transportation: The Roman Road system was comprised of a network of over 63,000 miles of paved roads, connecting centers of government, culture and power stretching from present day Spain to Iran. Roman roads were used by traders, builders, soldiers and government officials and greatly contributed to the efficiency of the empire's expansion. A passport system was used for identification of prestigious officials who had privileges of staying overnight in mansions. A horse-based relay postal system could transport a letter over 500 miles in 24 hours. Regional borders, such as the Jordan River that separated Jewish and Gentile regions on the north side of the sea of Galilee, were stationed with tax collectors and possessed increased cultural diversity. Matthew 4:12-16 states that Jesus went to live in the Capernaum region, near the Jordan River on "the Way to the Sea." This ancient land route is called the Via Maris, connecting eastward to Damascus and serving as one of the major thoroughfares through first century Palestine between the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. The Via Maris connected the silk and incense routes that extended to Iran and China to the ports of Ptolemais (Acco) and Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast of western Asia. The fact that Jesus spent most of his life in close proximity to the international trade route offers insight into the diversity of people and ideas he encountered. This reality also helps explain how his message was able to spread from humble Nazareth to the ends of the earth.
General Physique: Most Jews were fairly small in stature, light-skinned but tanned from sun. Most had black or brown hair worn long, and most men wore beards.
Family Structure: The husband was the spiritual and legal head of the house. He was responsible for feeding, sheltering and protecting the family. Children were instructed early to honor their parents. A Jewish family lived by very strict moral, social and religious rules. Parents, unmarried children, and a married son and spouse would often all live under one roof.
The Role of Women: In first century Israel, women were considered second-class citizens, akin to slaves. The fact that they are mentioned as avid followers of Jesus is unusual – both that they would be allowed to follow him with his disciples, and unusual that the authors of Jesus’ biographies would mention their presence at all.
Jesus’ Family life: Joseph (Jesus’ father) was a carpenter, making their family a part of the middle class. Mary (Jesus’ mother) was a teenager who was “promised” by her parents to be married to Joseph (at the time when Jesus was considered to be miraculously conceived). Following their marriage, and Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph had other children as well.

Roman Lifestyles and Beliefs:
Government: In the first century, Romans ruled the Mediterranean area known as Palestine (modern day Israel), where Jesus was born and lived his life. The Roman government practiced syncretism, accepting that all religious beliefs, philosophical teachings, and government systems are ultimately compatible, or a reflection of, a larger system – the Roman system. They practiced one of the first “one country, two systems” policies – pronouncing that all people had religious freedom, political freedom, and freedom of thought, yet maintaining strict control. The Roman Empire thrived on syncretism – seeking to have all people (Greek, Syrian, Egyptian, Jew, etc.) maintain their own traditions and philosophies, and yet seeing them all under a general Roman perspective. Most Roman citizens were influenced by the teachings of different philosophical systems; the two major philosophies of the time being Stoicism and Cynicism.
Religion: If anything, the Romans had a practical attitude to religion, as to most things, which perhaps explains why they themselves had difficulty in taking to the idea of a single, all-seeing, all-powerful god. In so far as the Romans had a religion of their own, it was not based on any central belief, but on a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions which they collected over the years from a number of sources. To the Romans, religion was less a spiritual experience than a contractual relationship between mankind and the forces which were believed to control people's existence and well-being. The result of such religious attitudes were two things: a state cult, the significant influence on political and military events of which outlasted the republic, and a private concern, in which the head of the family oversaw the domestic rituals and prayers in the same way as the representatives of the people performed the public ceremonials. However, as circumstances and people's view of the world changed, individuals whose personal religious needs remained unsatisfied turned increasingly during the first century AD to the mysteries, which were of Greek origin, and to the cults of the east. Most form of religious activity required some kind of sacrifice. And prayer could be a confusing matter due to some gods having multiple names or their sex even being unknown. The practice of Roman religion was a confusing thing. If the Roman state entertained temples and rituals for the benefit of the greater gods, then the Romans in the privacy of their own homes also worshipped their domestic deities. To the Roman peasant the world around simply abound with gods, spirits and omens. A multitude of festivals were held to appease the gods.
Superstition: The Roman was by nature a very superstitious person. Emperors would tremble and even legions refuse to march if the omens were bad ones.
Classes: As with many cultures, a Roman’s quality of life depended in many ways on their rank within the social structure. Two Romans living at the same time in the same city could have very different lives. For wealthy Romans, life was good. They lived in beautiful houses – often on the hills outside Rome, away from the noise and the smell. They enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle with luxurious furnishings, surrounded by servants and slaves to cater to their every desire. Many would hold exclusive dinner parties and serve their guests the exotic dishes of the day. Poorer Romans, however, could only dream of such a life. Sweating it out in the city, they lived in shabby, squalid houses that could collapse or burn at any moment. If times were hard, they might abandon newborn babies to the streets, hoping that someone else would take them in as a servant or slave. Poor in wealth but strong in numbers, they were the Roman mob, who relaxed in front of the popular entertainment of the time – chariot races between opposing teams, or gladiators fighting for their life, fame and fortune.
Family Life: In any Roman family life, the head of the household was a man. Although his wife looked after the household, he controlled it. He alone could own property. Only he decided the fate of his children and who they would marry.
Rituals: There were traditions that all Romans shared. Whatever their individual circumstances, all Romans observed certain practices at dinner time, the main meal of the day. Although they might eat very different food, they ate it in roughly the same way. And Romans of all classes made a point of visiting the baths after work each day. There they would mix freely with their fellow citizens, exercising, washing and chatting. To citizens, the baths made them feel superior to the rest of the world – they made them feel Roman.
The Soldier: A Roman Soldier was known as a legionary. There were also other Roman Soldiers called auxiliaries who included the Roman Cavalry. Roman Soldiers came from all over the Roman Empire. Their job was to defend Rome and fight to conquer new lands to add to the Roman Empire. Roman Soldiers, once they joined the Roman Army had to serve for twenty-five years. Roman Soldiers served in a unit known as a century. If a Roman Soldier was promoted to be the leader of a century of soldiers he was known as a Centurion. A century of Roman Soldiers consisted of approximately 80 men - so to be a Centurion and lead this many men was an important job in the Roman Army. Roman Soldiers were only promoted to be Centurions if they were clever, brave, good fighters and obeyed orders. There were 59 centuries of Roman Soldiers in a legion. In total the Roman Army consisted of about 30 legions. A Roman soldier's three main weapons were a short sword for stabbing, called a Gladius, a long iron, throwing spear called a Pilum, and a large rectangular shield. The shield was used for defense, to protect the Roman Soldiers body but also could be a very effective weapon, when needed. Roman Soldiers had to carry their own weapons, food and camping and sleeping equipment. They often had to march up to twenty miles a day carrying all this so it was important that they were strong and fit. Roman Soldiers trained together and were prepared for battle. They learned strategies and tactics to enable them to fight together as a single unit.
The Governor: The provincial governors were the most important officials in the Roman adminsitartion for it was they who were responsible for tax collection, justice in the first instance and public order in the first instance. They received, from the Prefectures, the tax demands three times a year,which they circulated to the municipalities.
The Procurator: The Emperor had under his control a number of smaller, but potentially difficult provinces that did not need an entire legion. These provinces were put under the control of governors of equestrian status. New conquests generally fell into this equestrian category but most were later changed in status to reflect the changing conditions of Roman's growing empire. Thus, a province would become upon conquest a procuratorial province until it was decided that it should become either an imperial or senatorial province and thus governed by either a propraetor or proconsul. Like the other imperial provinces, the equestrian governors could serve any length of time up to 5 years, or even longer. Much like the senatorial province of Africa, the equestrian province of Aegyptus (Egypt) was an exception to the general rule of legions only being stationed in imperial provinces. Egypt was not a normal province like any other, it was considered the personal possession of the Emperor, and its governor, the praefectus aegypti, was considered the highest ranking equestrian post during the early empire. Later, the post would fall second to that of the praetorian command, but its position remained highly prestigious. Though the practice of appointing equestrians to help manage provinces officially began with Augustus, governors from years before had appointed procurators to help them govern. However, it was not until the reign of Claudius that these procurators received the powers of a governor. Though by definition the procurators were prefects, a procuratorship was a more formal way of denoting a prefect’s authority to govern. It is important to note that procurators were not magistrates, so did not own imperium, and merely exercised the Emperor’s, or governor's, authority with his approval.
The Senate: The Roman Senate was a deliberative governing body. The body of the senate proposals, and approved or vetoed the various laws. The Senate and the Roman People described the distinction in class between the Senate and common people. The Roman People consisted of all citizens who were not members of the Senate. Despite its lack of actual law making power, the Senate held considerable authority in Roman politics. As the representative figurehead of Rome, it was the official body that sent and received ambassadors on behalf of the city, appointed officials to manage and govern provinces, declared war and negotiated peace, and appropriated funds for various projects such as public building construction. Appointments of military Legates, and the overall oversight of Roman religious practices remained in the control of the Senate as well. Senators also carried certain privileges and were subject to accompanying restrictions. All senators were entitled to wear a senatorial ring and a white tunic with a broad purple stripe five inches wide on the right shoulder.

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Sources of information:
http://www.jesuscentral.com/ji/historical-jesus/jesus-firstcenturycontext.php
http://www.hadrians.com/rome/romans/daily_life/roman_soldiers.html
http://www.unrv.com/empire/the-senate.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_governor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procurator_%28Roman_fiscal%29
http://www.nazarethvillage.com/research/content/travel-transportation-and-moveme...
http://www.roman-empire.net/religion/religion.html
http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/life.html