A study on the history of the Vatican will show that it was made a city state in 1929 via the Lateran Treaty. But its beginnings actually go back centuries earlier.

AD 326

Tradition holds that Saint Peter was crucified and died in Rome. Because he is recognized as the very first Pope, Italy had always been the home of the Papacy. In AD 326 a church was erected on the spot believed to be where Peter died and was buried.

When the Roman Empire collapsed, the church territories grew. These Papal States would expand from a single church and encompass large lands. By the 7th century AD large parts of Italy and France were under Papal control.

The Roman Question

The Italian unification changed the history of the Vatican. The Papal States were taken over by the monarchy. The Pope was left with only a single city at Rome. On October 1870, the city fell to King Victor Emmanuelle II of Italy. The result was that the Pope and the city became encircled and surrounded.

There is no exact date when Christianity began of course. But the following can serve as an overview of how it progressed and spread through the Roman Empire.

From the Pentecost to AD 313

The Bible states that the church itself commenced on Pentecost. That was when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples (Acts 2:4). The disciples went out to spread the word of the risen Christ through the Empire. The new religion increased rapidly. The common language (Greek and Latin) made it accessible to a lot of people. It also helped that Rome was tolerant of emerging religions.

The Early Church

There were no churches when Christianity began. Instead the people met in homes and synagogues. There the learned would speak and sermon about the teachings of Christ. These gatherings would eventually grow and people began accepting the religion in droves.

Persecution

The religion eventually came under Roman persecution. This happened because the Christians refused to worship the emperor as a god. Second they refused to join the military. Third their growth meant people no longer donated money to the pagan temples, which posed a burden to the treasury.

The tolerance of Rome to religions ended when it affected the empire. Although when Christianity began it was welcomed by Roman officials, by 250 it was declared illegal.

The greatest wave of persecutions came under the reigns of Valerian and Diocletian (284-305). According to historians, Christian books were burned. Christians themselves were crucified and tortured to death. Most were thrown into the Coliseum and fed to lions. There is no consensus to the number killed, but it is held to be in the thousands.

The Edict of Tolerance and the Councils

In AD 313 the emperor Constantine issued a decree of tolerance. Christians were allowed to return to the land. From tolerance the point came in 380 when it became the official religion of Rome.

From AD 325 to 387 seven councils were conducted to define its tenets and doctrines. When Christianity began, there were several gospels and the bishops decided which were genuinely inspired and were fraudulent.

Several other issues were discussed by the bishops. These meetings were presided over by the Roman emperors. From these discussions came the books that were to be included in the Bible. In 397 the New Testament canon was established and approved.

Spread

Even after the fall of Rome, the religion grew. The collapse of Rome saw the emergence of the Holy Roman Empire. By this time Europe was on the way to being Christianized. When the Europeans made their way to the New World, they carried the religion with them.

As time went by, fractions developed within the Church. Roman Catholicism remains the largest denomination followed by different forms of Protestantism. Various sects like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, 7th Day Adventists and Mormons have also spread through the world.

When Christianity began there seemed little chance that it would survive, let alone spread. But it did. Today it continues to have steady and widespread following all over the world.

As with other faiths, no definite date can be given for the beginning of the history of Islam. For anyone interested in knowing when the religion began though, learning something of its prophet is mandatory.

The Prophet Mohammed

Mohammed was born in 570 AD. He was well to do, but was drawn towards prayer and meditation. It was during his 40th year that he received the vision and message from an angel. From these visions would come the basic tenets and foundations of the new religion. From that point on he traveled around Mecca to spread the word about Allah.

622 AD: the Hegira

Faced with persecution, Mohammed and his followers left Mecca for Medina. This journey is known as the Hegira (breaking of former ties). It is one of the most vital aspects of the history of Islam.

Although in exile, the new religion spread rapidly across the Arabian Peninsula. In 630 AD he made a triumphant return to Mecca. By this time Islam had become the dominant religion among the Arabs. Furthermore it unified the once scattered and pagan nomadic tribes.

Expansion in the Middle East and Europe

Even after Mohammed’s death in 632 it continued to expand. From Arabia the Muslims marched forward and took control of Syria and the surrounding areas. The region of the Middle East had embraced the new religion.

From the Middle East the Muslims eventually reached Europe. In 700 AD the history of Islam took a pivotal turn. The Muslim armies made it to Europe. The Muslims took a particularly strong hold in Spain where its culture flourished.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Christians and Muslims fought numerous battles for control of Jerusalem. These became known as the Crusades. These battles were fought for several decades and played pivotal roles in shaping both religions.

Expansion in Asia

The Muslim surge in Europe was stopped from the mid to late 1400s. They were pushed back by Spain which for centuries flourished under Muslim rule. However, the religion expanded in other parts of the world. For example, in Asia it gained a stronghold in Mindanao in the Philippines.

The history of Islam and its faith were also embraced by Indonesia. Although not as prevalent in Europe now, there are still Muslims in the continent. Its presence is also being felt in parts of Africa as well.

Basic Doctrine

Although it had gone through various stages, its basic tenets remain unchanged since Mohammed’s time. They believe that Allah is the only God and Mohammed is his prophet.

The Muslim must also pray at least five times a day facing the city of Mecca. Giving to the poor and fasting during the month of Ramadan is also practiced by the devoted. A pilgrimage to Mecca is also expected of Muslims who can afford to do it. Reading of the Quran, their holy book, is also performed by the devoted.

Today the Muslim religion continues to spread throughout the world. With an understanding of the history of Islam, people will be in a better position to comprehend it and avoid misapprehensions.

Most people think that when Jesus was born it was December 25 in 4 BC. But a closer look will reveal that things are not quite as clear.

Facts about the 4 BC Date

BC stands for “before Christ”, so to say that Mary gave birth to Jesus in 4 or 6 BC is incorrect. This is the reason why.

During the Roman times, the years were counted from the Empire’s founding.

When it collapsed a new calendar was needed. In AD 526 a monk named Exiguius was assigned this task. The new calendar was to begin from the birth of Christ. Thus the time would be divided between the years before the time when Jesus was born (BC) and after it (AD, Anna Domini or the “year of our Lord”).

But Exiguius made an error. He set the date of Jesus’ birth in 753 from the founding day of Rome. It should have been in 749 or earlier.

December 25

There is nothing in the Bible that says Mary gave birth on December 25th. This date first appeared in the 4th century AD in the Western Church. In the Eastern Church, Jesus’ birthday is celebrated on January 6th.

Hipppolytus was one of the earliest Christian writers to state that December 25th was the date when Jesus was born. This was the date of the Saturnalia, a popular Roman pagan festival. It was the birth date of Mithra and Soi Invictus, popular sun gods. According to the historians the Christians chose the day to replace the pagan festivals. The Christian writer Chrysostom also used the December 25th date. This date stuck and it would become Christmas.

Other Possible Dates

Some believe that the birth date was September. The theory goes like this.

Luke 1:5 says that Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist) was on Abijah’s course. Shortly after an angel appeared and said his wife Elizabeth would get pregnant.

It’s said that the Abijah course was the eighth and took place in June. According to calculations Jesus and John were born six months apart. John would have been born in March. The time when Jesus was born would then be in September.

Others hold on to the December 25th date. They use the following method. The count starts from AD 70 with the temple’s destruction. Assuming the tradition held the Abijah course would’ve been in October. John would’ve been born in June. Jesus would be born in December.

There are other writers that support this contention. A Christian writer named Cyril got his information from the census. According to him, the date was December 25th. However there is no evidence to point to this conclusion. There are also no surviving documents either.

As stated the Eastern Church celebrates it on January 6th. Doubtless others have their own ideas too.

Of course these are all theories. Until something surfaces one can never be certain as to the time when Jesus was born. But for most Christians, this is of secondary importance. What is more vital are his teachings and message. Still, it is interesting to ponder.