King James Version · Under Rome
Acts 12
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Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of . And he killed the brother of with . And because he saw it pleased the , he proceeded further to take also. (Then were the days of .) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. therefore was kept in prison: but was made without ceasing of unto for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, came upon him, and a shined in the prison: and he smote on the side, and him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8And said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy . And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by ; but thought he saw a . When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith departed from him. And when was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that hath sent his , and hath me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the of the people of the . And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of the mother of , whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. And as knocked at the door of the , a damsel came to , named Rhoda. And when she knew ’s voice, she opened not the for gladness, but ran in, and told how stood before the . And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his . 16But continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto , and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of . And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to . And he went down from to Cesarea, and there abode. And Herod was highly displeased with them of and : but they came with one accord to him, and, having made the king’s chamberlain their friend, peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country. 21And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his , and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a , and not of a man. And immediately smote him, because he gave not the : and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. But the word of grew and multiplied. And and returned from , when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them , whose surname was Mark.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.