Times and history

Who ruled, and who believed what?

The world in which The Chosen and the films about Jesus are set: emperors in Rome, Herod and his sons, Pilate and the high priests; Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes; the feasts of the year, the languages of the Gospels and their events in the traditional order.

Illustration (AI)

Rulers

Rome and the family of Herod

Luke dates the appearance of John the Baptist precisely: in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee (Lk 3:1–2).

RulerRole in the GospelsBible passagesDates
AugustusRoman emperor when Jesus is born1Lk 2:1–
Herod the Greatking of Judea when Jesus is bornMt 2:1–19made king by Rome in 40 B.C., ruled in Jerusalem from 37 B.C., died in the spring of 4 B.C.2
Archelausson of Herod, rules in Judea; because of him Joseph settles in Galilee with Mary and the child1Mt 2:22–
Quiriniusgovernor of Syria at the time of the first census1Lk 2:2–
TiberiusRoman emperor; in the fifteenth year of his reign John the Baptist appears1Lk 3:1–
Herod Antipasson of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee; has John the Baptist beheadedLk 3:1, Mk 6:14–29, Lk 23:6–12built Tiberias; banished to Lyons in A.D. 392
Philiptetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis1Lk 3:1–
Lysaniastetrarch of Abilene1Lk 3:1–
Pontius PilateRoman governor of JudeaLk 3:1, Mt 27:2, Jn 18:28–19:16A.D. 26–363
Annas and Caiaphashigh priests during the public ministry of Jesus4Lk 3:2, Jn 18:13–24, Mt 26:57–
Herod Agrippa Iking, grandson of Herod the Great; has James, the brother of John, killed by the sword1Acts 12:1–2in the early forties A.D.5

Coins and stones from this time

Coins from the time of Jesus and an inscription with the name of Pilate.

Silver coin with the head of Tiberius and a seated female figure
Silver denarius of Emperor Tiberius (A.D. 14–37), front and back. Photo: Portable Antiquities Scheme, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two sides of a small bronze coin with a Greek inscription
Bronze coin of Pontius Pilate from A.D. 29/30. Photo: Jack1956 (English Wikipedia), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Two sides of a bronze coin, one with a palm branch
Bronze coin of Herod Antipas, struck in A.D. 30. Photo: Classical Numismatic Group, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Limestone block with a Latin inscription that names Pilate
The Pilate Stone from Caesarea, now in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Photo: Carole Raddato, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Religious groups

Who was who in the time of Jesus?

We describe the groups as the sources show them, without prejudice: many of their members were devout Jews who took God seriously.

Pharisees

The Pharisees took shape as a group around the third century B.C. Their name is explained as “the separated ones”. They devoted themselves to the Law, taught in the synagogues and had great influence among the people.6

The principle of keeping the whole Law, in spirit as well as in letter, was dear to them, and it led many Jews of Jesus' time to great religious zeal. The relations of Jesus with the Pharisees were not only disputes: Pharisees invite him to dine and warn him about Herod. (Lk 7:36, Lk 13:31, Lk 14:1)78

Nicodemus and the teacher Gamaliel were Pharisees too. (Jn 3:1, Acts 5:34)1

Sadducees

The Sadducees were the leading group among the priests; their name is traced back to Zadok. They rejected the oral traditions held by the Pharisees, as well as the resurrection and the angels. (Mk 12:18, Acts 23:8)9

Their influence disappeared when the Jewish people lost its political independence.9

Scribes

The scribes were the interpreters of the Law. A scribe asks Jesus which commandment is the first of all and hears that he is not far from the kingdom of God. (Mk 12:28–34)10

Zealots

The word comes from “zeal”. Luke calls the apostle Simon the Zealot; Benedict XVI thinks it likely that, even if Simon was not a member of the nationalist movement, he was zealous for God and the Law. (Lk 6:15)11

High priests and the Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin was the supreme council and highest court of the Jews; according to the Mishnah and Josephus it had 71 members. In the last forty years of its existence the high priest presided, and the assembly met near the temple buildings. (Mk 14:55, Jn 11:47)12

Samaritans

In the time of Jesus, Jews and Samaritans had little to do with each other. Yet in the parable it is a Samaritan whom Jesus holds up as the model of love of neighbor, and a healed Samaritan is the only one who returns to give thanks. (Jn 4:9, Lk 10:25–37, Lk 17:11–19)1

No collective guilt

The trial of Jesus was historically complex, and the personal sin of those involved is known to God alone. Hence, the Catechism says, “we cannot lay responsibility for the trial on the Jews in Jerusalem as a whole.”13

The Church teaches that sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings of Christ, and she does not hesitate to impute to Christians the gravest responsibility for them.14

Feasts

The feasts of the year

Many events of the Gospels take place on feast days: Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of the Dedication; at Pentecost the disciples receive the Holy Spirit.

FeastWhat the Gospels tellBible passages
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened BreadThe great feast of the Jews. Jesus celebrates the Last Supper in the course of the Passover meal.1516Mk 14:1, Mk 14:12
Passover in JohnJohn names three Passovers during the ministry of Jesus.1Jn 2:13, Jn 6:4, Jn 11:55
Feast of TabernaclesAutumn feast; Jesus goes up to Jerusalem and teaches in the temple.1Jn 7:2–14, Jn 7:37
Feast of the DedicationFeast in winter; Jesus walks about in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon.1Jn 10:22–23
PentecostFeast at the end of the seven weeks after Easter; the disciples receive the Holy Spirit.17Acts 2:1–4
SabbathEvery week, from evening to evening: a day of rest and of gathering in the synagogue.1819Lk 4:16, Lk 23:54

Language

Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin

The evangelists give some words of Jesus and of those around him in Aramaic and translate them into Greek right away1. Peter's accent gives him away as a Galilean (Mt 26:73); the inscription on the cross was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek (Jn 19:20).

According to the testimony of the early Church, Matthew first wrote in the language of the Hebrews; the Gospel we have is in Greek20.

WordMeaningPassage
Talitha koumLittle girl, ariseMk 5:41
EphphathaBe openedMk 7:34
AbbaFatherMk 14:36
Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”Mk 15:34
RabbouniTeacherJn 20:16
CephasRock, in Greek PeterJn 1:42
BoanergesSons of thunderMk 3:17
GolgothaPlace of the SkullMk 15:22
GabbathaStone Pavement, in Greek LithostrotosJn 19:13
MessiahAnointed one, in Greek ChristJn 1:41

Timeline

The Gospels in order

The Gospels are not a complete chronicle. The order follows tradition; each event comes with its Bible references and its place.

  1. The Annunciation to MaryLk 1:26–38 Nazareth
  2. Mary visits ElizabethLk 1:39–56
  3. The birth of Jesus in BethlehemLk 2:1–7Mt 2:1 Bethlehem
  4. The shepherds at the mangerLk 2:8–20 Bethlehem
  5. The presentation in the templeLk 2:22–40 Jerusalem
  6. The magiMt 2:1–12 Bethlehem
  7. The flight into Egypt and the return to NazarethMt 2:13–23 Nazareth
  8. The boy Jesus in the templeLk 2:41–52 Jerusalem
  9. The baptism in the JordanMk 1:9–11Mt 3:13–17 Bethany across the Jordan
  10. The temptation in the desertMt 4:1–11Lk 4:1–13
  11. The call of the first disciplesJn 1:35–51Mt 4:18–22 Sea of Galilee
  12. The wedding at CanaJn 2:1–11 Cana
  13. Nicodemus comes at nightJn 3:1–21 Jerusalem
  14. The woman at Jacob's wellJn 4:1–42 Sychar
  15. Rejection at NazarethLk 4:16–30 Nazareth
  16. The call of Matthew the tax collectorMt 9:9–13 Capernaum
  17. The choosing of the TwelveMk 3:13–19Lk 6:12–16
  18. Ministry in Galilee, the Sermon on the MountMt 4:23–25Mt 5:1–7:29 Capernaum
  19. The mission of the TwelveMk 6:7–13
  20. The death of John the BaptistMk 6:17–29
  21. The feeding of the five thousandMk 6:30–44Jn 6:1–15 Sea of Galilee
  22. Jesus walks on the waterMt 14:22–33 Sea of Galilee
  23. Peter's confessionMt 16:13–20 Caesarea Philippi
  24. The Transfiguration on a high mountainMt 17:1–9
  25. The raising of LazarusJn 11:1–44 Bethany
  26. The anointing at BethanyJn 12:1–8 Bethany
  27. The entry into JerusalemMt 21:1–11 Jerusalem
  28. The cleansing of the templeMk 11:15–19 Jerusalem
  29. The Last SupperMk 14:12–25 Jerusalem
  30. Prayer in Gethsemane and the arrestMk 14:32–52 Jerusalem
  31. Before the Sanhedrin and before PilateMk 14:53–15:15 Jerusalem
  32. Death on the crossMk 15:20–41Jn 19:16–30 Jerusalem
  33. The ResurrectionMt 28:1–10Jn 20:1–18 Jerusalem
  34. The disciples on the road to EmmausLk 24:13–35
  35. Thomas sees the risen LordJn 20:24–29 Jerusalem
  36. The appearance by the Sea of TiberiasJn 21:1–19 Sea of Galilee
  37. The AscensionLk 24:50–53Acts 1:9–11
  38. PentecostActs 2:1–13 Jerusalem

Sources

  1. New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.: book abbreviations, verse numbers and names follow this edition; links go to the text on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
  2. Catholic Encyclopedia: Herod (J. Tierney, 1910)
  3. Catholic Encyclopedia: Pontius Pilate
  4. Catholic Encyclopedia: Caiphas
  5. Benedict XVI, General Audience, June 21, 2006: James, the Greater
  6. Catholic Encyclopedia: Pharisees (J. F. Driscoll, 1911)
  7. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 579
  8. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 575
  9. Catholic Encyclopedia: Sadducees (J. F. Driscoll, 1912)
  10. Catholic Encyclopedia: Scribes
  11. Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 11, 2006: Simon and Jude
  12. Catholic Encyclopedia: Sanhedrin (C. Souvay, 1912)
  13. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 597
  14. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 598
  15. Catholic Encyclopedia: Pasch (Passover)
  16. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1340
  17. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 731
  18. Catholic Encyclopedia: Sabbath
  19. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2168
  20. Benedict XVI, General Audience, August 30, 2006: Matthew, the tax collector

Checked on October 21, 2026. Bible references follow the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), the Catholic Bible translation of the U.S. bishops. We give the references and sum up the passages in our own words; each reference links to the full text on the bishops' website. Found a mistake? Write to us at hello@biblebehindthescreen.com.

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