King James Version · Under Rome
Revelation 5
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And I saw in of him that sat on a book written within and on the backside, . And I saw a strong proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose thereof? And no man in , nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of , the Root of , hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of and of the four , and in the midst of the , stood as it had been slain, having seven and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of of him that sat upon . And when he had taken the book, the four and four and twenty fell down before , having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of . And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast us to by thy out of every kindred, and , and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many round about and the and the : and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is that was slain to receive , and riches, and , and strength, and , and , and . And every creature which is in , and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, , and , and , and , be unto him that sitteth upon , and unto . And the four said, . And the four and twenty fell down and him that liveth .
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.