Our stop in Rome
Blog Update from Brian:
We have just arrived at our destination in Vicenza Italy and we have access to the Web! We flew into Rome 4 days ago where we spent time with our friend Amos Miguel who serves with Campus Crusade for Christ. We also took in some amazing sites and got acclimated to the time zone (like sleeping into 11:00 am each day).
People often talk about taking a pilgrimage to the holy land to help them put their faith into perspective. After spending a few days in Rome, I would add this ancient city as the second place to see to help put into perspective just what was happening in the world during the time of Jesus' life and ministry.
Even among the ruins, it is overwhelming to experience the majesty of what was once the seat of human power. The rubble can’t hide the grandeur and beauty of her architecture, civil and mechanical engineering achievements, and the effects she had on the arts, language and commerce.
These pictures can’t give justice to the size and complexity of the Forum which was the city square of Rome where people could gather for political, judicial and religious ritual in great numbers.
The Forum became the economic hub of the city, as well as the center of the Kingdom, Republic and Empire.
During this time, Rome was worshipping many of the same gods as the Greeks, though by different names. Many temples were found in the area. One in particular has stood the test of time. The Pantheon. It was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.
Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Almost 2000 years!
What awe and intimidation this city must have had on people of the ancient world. Whether they were visitors or captives, they must have thought this nation was unstoppable. This influence and power was not lost on the nation Israel. I was thinking of all the events in the NT where Rome's control was influencing the daily lives of the Jews and her leaders. The one that stands out for me above them all is when the rulers of Israel had to choose between her true King (Jesus) or Caesar.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." John 19:15-16
We know these rulers actually wanted to maintain their own illusion of power but they used the influence of Rome for their own gain. I thought back to when Israel wanted her own King like all the other nations around them. However God warned them in 1 Samuel 8 that an earthly king would only take from them. How prophetic! If they wanted Caesar, Caesar they got. It wouldn't be long until his army showed up and destroyed Jerusalem and took all the treasures from the temple. Today, you can see in Rome the Arch of Titus which was constructed in c.82 AD by Emperor Domotian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus' victory in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D
How cool is that!? You can see images of the artifacts from the temple being carried off by the Roman soldiers. In fact, the Emperor would use the temple treasure to finance the construction of another popular structure in Rome. The Colosseum
Domotian's father, Emperor Vespasian started the works in 72 AD and his son Titus dedicated it in the year 80 with magnificent games that lasted one hundred days. In that time, many animals and men lost their lives. It is intriguing to me how the best and worst of man coexisted at the same place and at the same time.
Thus the need of a Savior! It wasn't long after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ that this edifice to man's glory fell and became the seat of the early church. But that is another story.
Once the seat of human power, the ruins of Rome is now a seat for Johnny. Rock on John!
Hey, those status look a lot like Mary, Claire and Katie
More to come now that we are at the Hospitality House.
We have just arrived at our destination in Vicenza Italy and we have access to the Web! We flew into Rome 4 days ago where we spent time with our friend Amos Miguel who serves with Campus Crusade for Christ. We also took in some amazing sites and got acclimated to the time zone (like sleeping into 11:00 am each day).
People often talk about taking a pilgrimage to the holy land to help them put their faith into perspective. After spending a few days in Rome, I would add this ancient city as the second place to see to help put into perspective just what was happening in the world during the time of Jesus' life and ministry.
Even among the ruins, it is overwhelming to experience the majesty of what was once the seat of human power. The rubble can’t hide the grandeur and beauty of her architecture, civil and mechanical engineering achievements, and the effects she had on the arts, language and commerce.
These pictures can’t give justice to the size and complexity of the Forum which was the city square of Rome where people could gather for political, judicial and religious ritual in great numbers.
The Forum became the economic hub of the city, as well as the center of the Kingdom, Republic and Empire.
During this time, Rome was worshipping many of the same gods as the Greeks, though by different names. Many temples were found in the area. One in particular has stood the test of time. The Pantheon. It was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.
Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Almost 2000 years!
What awe and intimidation this city must have had on people of the ancient world. Whether they were visitors or captives, they must have thought this nation was unstoppable. This influence and power was not lost on the nation Israel. I was thinking of all the events in the NT where Rome's control was influencing the daily lives of the Jews and her leaders. The one that stands out for me above them all is when the rulers of Israel had to choose between her true King (Jesus) or Caesar.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." John 19:15-16
We know these rulers actually wanted to maintain their own illusion of power but they used the influence of Rome for their own gain. I thought back to when Israel wanted her own King like all the other nations around them. However God warned them in 1 Samuel 8 that an earthly king would only take from them. How prophetic! If they wanted Caesar, Caesar they got. It wouldn't be long until his army showed up and destroyed Jerusalem and took all the treasures from the temple. Today, you can see in Rome the Arch of Titus which was constructed in c.82 AD by Emperor Domotian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus' victory in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D
How cool is that!? You can see images of the artifacts from the temple being carried off by the Roman soldiers. In fact, the Emperor would use the temple treasure to finance the construction of another popular structure in Rome. The Colosseum
Domotian's father, Emperor Vespasian started the works in 72 AD and his son Titus dedicated it in the year 80 with magnificent games that lasted one hundred days. In that time, many animals and men lost their lives. It is intriguing to me how the best and worst of man coexisted at the same place and at the same time.
Thus the need of a Savior! It wasn't long after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ that this edifice to man's glory fell and became the seat of the early church. But that is another story.
Once the seat of human power, the ruins of Rome is now a seat for Johnny. Rock on John!
Hey, those status look a lot like Mary, Claire and Katie
More to come now that we are at the Hospitality House.
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