713 • 726-9520 srossel@rossel.net

One to One

A Tale of Two Centuries

Religious turmoil in the Holy Land reached a critical level in the first century BCE and the first century CE. The movers and shakers of this critical period achieved so remarkable a stamp on religious ideas that their voices and opinions continue to influence and shape our thinking down to the present day.

We will discuss the beliefs, interaction, and political and spiritual passions of the four “streams” or “movements” associated with this period: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots, and the Essenes.

All is presented in stunning visuals with charts, graphs, photographs, and accurate reconstructions based on archaeological evidence. Handouts of primary sources are provided.

  • The majestic splendor of Sepphoris, a city of Romans and Rabbis

  • The drama of Masada’s last stand

  • The tipping point of the Zealots & the destruction of Jerusalem

  • Judea under the Maccabees and Herod the Great

  • The treasures of Herodium & Caesarea

  • How the Pharisees arose & why they survived the destruction of the Temple

  • The rise of the synagogue

  • Jewish burial in Roman times

  • The Messiah obsession & its results

  • The place of the Sadducees in Judean history

  • The Essenes & their quest for separatism

  • Jesus and the Jews

  • The archaeology of the period & how it informs us

  • Postscript: The Bar Kochba Revolt (132-135 CE) & its aftermath

Available Formats

• seminar • scholar-in-residence weekend • lecture or series of lectures • individual workshop segments

Another Unique Offering

And Another

And One More