King James Version · Under Rome
Luke 15
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Then drew near unto him all the and for to hear him. And the and murmured, saying, This man receiveth , and eateth with them. 3And he spake this unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in , and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in over one that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine persons, which need no . Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the of the of over one that repenteth. 11And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his , , give me the of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of ’s have bread enough and to spare, and I with ! I will arise and go to , and will say unto him, , I have against , and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his . But when he was yet a great way off, his saw him, and had , and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, , I have against , and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was , and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his , Lo, these many years do I thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy : and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was , and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
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.