Changes

The Han dynasty expanded the territory of China into Vietnam and Korea, and administered justice to the country from a centralized and organized civil service.  This was the most significant of all Chinese dynasties, and is compared by historians to the Pax Romana period in the Roman empire (which we will discuss in the next lecture).  The Han dynasty valued education highly, and even created a scholar class of people known as "shi".  Historians criticize the Han dynasty, however, for treating women in an inferior manner.

The Han dynasty expanded the territory of China into Vietnam and Korea, and administered justice to the country from a centralized and organized civil service.  This was the most significant of all Chinese dynasties, and is compared by historians to the Pax Romana period in the Roman empire (which we will discuss in the next lecture).  The Han dynasty valued education highly, and even created a scholar class of people known as "shi".  Historians criticize the Han dynasty, however, for treating women in an inferior manner.

The Han dynasty developed the famous Silk Road: 5,000 miles of interconnected roads linking China to the Mediterranean region, which enabled trade in silk and fine goods to greatly increase.  Buddhism spread widely along the Silk Road, promoted both by traders and Buddhist monks, and reached China in A.D. 100.  A new religion designed to appeal to merchants, Manichaeism (named after its founder Mani (A.D. 216-272)), also spread to Turkish nomads by teaching self-denial and acceptance of both Buddha and Jesus as prophets.   

The Han dynasty developed the famous Silk Road: 5,000 miles of interconnected roads linking China to the Mediterranean region, which enabled trade in silk and fine goods to greatly increase.  Buddhism spread widely along the Silk Road, promoted both by traders and Buddhist monks, and reached China in A.D. 100.  A new religion designed to appeal to merchants, Manichaeism (named after its founder Mani (A.D. 216-272)), also spread to Turkish nomads by teaching self-denial and acceptance of both Buddha and Jesus as prophets.  Notice how Buddhism would predictably become more popular outside India than Hinduism did;  Buddhism was not based on one's class or family heritage, while Hinduism was.

Trade flourished on the Silk Road, which China used to transport silk, spices gems, wine, cosmetics and even grain to the Mediterranean.  By land the traders carrying the goods included all groups in the Middle East; by sea the Malay sailors mastered the tricky monsoon wind patterns.  The Silk Road was influential from 150 B.C. to A.D. 900.  Perhaps one might compare its enormous influence to the internet today!  Today, an important railway runs along a common route which was part of the silk road.

Trade flourished on the Silk Road, which China used to transport silk, spices gems, wine, cosmetics and even grain to the Mediterranean.  By land the traders carrying the goods included all groups in the Middle East; by sea the Malay sailors mastered the tricky monsoon wind patterns.  The Silk Road was influential from 150 B.C. to A.D. 900.  Perhaps one might compare its enormous influence to the internet today!  Today, an important railway runs along a common route which was part of the silk road.

From these dates come the traditional view that Jesus was 33 years old when He rose from the dead.  However, the Gospels do not specify His age and it is not entirely clear precisely when Jesus was born.  We do know from the Gospels that He was less than 50.  Many historians place his birth between 6 and 4 B.C.  The description of Jesus' birth in the Gospel of Luke refers to King Herod, whose brutal reign was from 37 to 4 B.C.

From these dates come the traditional view that Jesus was 33 years old when He rose from the dead.  However, the Gospels do not specify His age and it is not entirely clear precisely when Jesus was born.  We do know from the Gospels that He was less than 50.  Many historians place his birth between 6 and 4 B.C.  The description of Jesus' birth in the Gospel of Luke refers to King Herod, whose brutal reign was from 37 to 4 B.C.

'''Modern controversy:'''  Jesus's hometown of Nazareth is now mostly Muslim, and modern controversy exists about plans to build a mosque adjacent to the place where the angel Gabriel greeted the Virgin Mary.  Muslims, their holy scriptures the Qur'an, honor Mary.  This type of modern dispute is common today at holy places in the region of Palestine.

'''Modern controversy:'''  Jesus's hometown of Nazareth is now mostly Muslim, and a modern controversy exists about plans to build a mosque adjacent to the place where the angel Gabriel greeted the Virgin Mary.  Muslims, their holy scriptures the Qur'an, honor Mary.  This type of modern dispute is common today at holy places in the region of Palestine.

The dating of our calendar from Christ's birth was victimized by a monk's error in the sixth century A.D., when the Roman monk Dionysis the Little changed the calendar to recognize the birth of Christ.  He calculated that Jesus was born the year that King Herod died, and modern historians agree.  However, the monk thought that Herod died 753 years after the founding of Rome, instead of the correct 749 years after the founding of Rome.  (King Herod is the ruler who ordered all babies in Bethlehem younger than 2 to be killed in his unsuccessful attempt to murder Jesus, whose family fled to Egypt to escape this.)  Thus the monk estimated that Jesus was born four years later than He probably was.  What was intended to be A.D. 1 was actually 4 B.C.  Note that there is no year "0", as the concept of "0" was unknown to the Greeks and not even discovered until the seventh century by mathematicians in India.  The year that followed 1 B.C. is A.D. 1.

The dating of our calendar from Christ's birth was victimized by a monk's error in the sixth century A.D., when the Roman monk Dionysis the Little changed the calendar to recognize the birth of Christ.  He calculated that Jesus was born the year that King Herod died, and modern historians agree.  However, the monk thought that Herod died 753 years after the founding of Rome, instead of the correct 749 years after the founding of Rome.  (King Herod is the ruler who ordered all babies in Bethlehem younger than 2 to be killed in his unsuccessful attempt to murder Jesus, whose family fled to Egypt to escape this.)  Thus the monk estimated that Jesus was born four years later than He probably was.  What was intended to be A.D. 1 was actually 4 B.C.  Note that there is no year "0", as the concept of "0" was unknown to the Greeks and not even discovered until the seventh century by mathematicians in India.  The year that followed 1 B.C. is A.D. 1.