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years of
partnership
Frontline: From Jesus to Christ" is "steeped in Jewish history and Jewish concerns. D
Pictured in a fifth-century mosaic from Ravenna is Jesus at the Last Supper.
brates Passover in Jerusalem and then
is crucified for being a political dissi-
dent. The program clearly states that
Jesus' death was a Roman execution
and not a Jewish act.
Part 2, "A Light to the Nations,"
focuses on the period immediately
after the crucifixion and especially on
the work of the Apostle Paul in
Antioch, one of the largest Jewish
communities. The program paints a
picture of Paul as a Diaspora Jew
intent on spreading his message
about a Jewish Messiah and the corn-
ing Apocalypse.
Much time is spent on the clues-
tion of how gentiles who wanted to
be followers of Jesus could become
Jewish without being circumcised. I
was shocked to learn that Paul got
the Jewish religious leaders of
Jerusalem to let him use the ancient
rite of baptism as a valid form of
conversion.
This program takes us up to and
through the First Revolt in 66 C.E.
and the destruction of Jerusalem and
the Temple. The period after the First
Revolt is filled with an increasingly
hostile relationship between
Christians and Jews as the followers
of Jesus move increasingly away from
their Jewish roots.
Part 3, "Let the Reader
Understand," examines the period
after the First Revolt, the creation of
the four Gospels and the Second
Revolt, led by Bar Kochba, who
believed he was the Messiah. This is
when a true split occurred, as
Christians, who believed Jesus was
the Messiah, refused to join in the
four-year struggle.
After the Jews are crushed by the
Roman army, Christianity begins to
assert itself and accommodate the
forces of the empire that killed its
leader.
Part 4, "Kingdoms in Conflict,"
concludes the series by presenting the
extraordinary events during the two-
century period when Christianity
went from being a small Jewish sect
of dissidents to the official religion of
the Roman Empire. Time is spent
examining the rule of Pliny the
Younger, who executed many
Christians, and Constantine, the
Roman general who became a con-
vert.
For those who would like to delve
into the subject in more depth
through the Internet, Frontline
Online is available at
www.pbs.org/frontline
At this site, you'll find an online
scholars' forum, in-depth exploration
of key biblical archeological discover-
ies (including the Dead Sea Scrolls),
selections from Hebrew Scriptures,
annotated transcripts of interviews
with the featured scholars and an
interactive map of Palestine and the
Roman Empire.
— Reviewed by Morrie Warshawski
Peter, Paul
& Mary
SUNDAY
a
3
44- F 3' M
Tickets: $10 $20 $30 $40
Patron Tickets: $500 - includes
box seat and afterglow
For Tickets: Ticketmaster (248) 645-6666
or Detroit Opera House (313) 961-3500
$1.50 Detroit Opera House restoration charge will be added to ticket price
1998
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