Empires

The Catholic Church uses all of its might to try and silence Luther, including accusations of heresy and excommunication.

Martin Luther is born into a world dominated by the Catholic Church. For the keenly spiritual Luther, the Church's promise of salvation is irresistible.

Rabbis struggle to reinvigorate Judaism after the Romans destroy temples; the rise of Christianity.

Early Christianity faced powerful obstacles. The might of the Roman Empire and the power-politics of ancient Jerusalem lay a heavy burden on those who believed Jesus was "the Messiah."

Spread outside Judea by missionaries like Peter and Paul, the Jesus movement caught on quickly among Jews and non-Jews around the Roman Empire.

Conflict erupts between Jews and Romans when Pompeii enters Judah in 63 B.C.

Ezra reads the Bible to illiterate Judeans in 458 B.C.; the Maccabees defend their religious freedom.

In 586 B.C., exiled Israelites write down stories of Judah.