Episode 4 – Jews Expelled from Rome, Nero Blames Christians, Domitian Persecution

Welcome to another episode of  The Hidden History of the Church. This program looks at Historical Christianity.  I’m your host and guide Hank Wilson. Why Hidden History of the Church? First of all, it’s not really hidden, it’s just not taught, especially by many modern ministers. Way too many people today only know Christianity from what they see on TV and through social media. Too many have no idea of how Christianity started or what the real purpose of the church is supposed to be.

Today I want to talk about 3 incidents that took place very early in the church’s history and all of which clearly demonstrate how things were in the early days and also which helped shape things that were to come. The first is the expulsion of the Jews from Rome, yes remember, the early followers of Jesus were Jews, then the persecution of Jesus followers by Nero, and finally the persecution of Christians by Domitian.  

In 49 AD, according to the Roman historian Suetonius,  Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome.  He ordered this because apparently there had been disturbances that might have been caused by disputes within the Jewish community. The expulsion is noted by several ancient sources, including, as I mentioned, Suetonius, the Jewish historian Josephus, and a brief mention in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament.

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According to Suetonius, who wrote in his The Twelve Caesars, says that Claudius expelled Jews because they were “constantly rioting at the instigation of Chrestus” (Vita Claudii 25.4). The term “Chrestus” is widely interpreted to be a misspelling or variant of “Christos” (Greek for “Christ”). Many historians and ancient studies scholars often interpret this as a reference to growing conflicts between traditional Jews and what we label as Jewish Christians, or simply the followers of Jesus.  Since His followers referred to Him as the Christ or Messiah, this would invariably cause conflict with more traditional or orthodox Jewish believers. As Christianity spread among the Jews, debates about Jesus as the Messiah might have indeed led to unrest within the Jewish community.

According to Jewish Historian Josephus, while not specifically mentioning this expulsion, does describe tensions between Jews and the broader Roman society during the reign of Claudius’. This might indicate that there was a more general atmosphere of tension in Rome regarding Jewish practices and beliefs.

Another mention is in the New Testament, in the Acts of the Apostles in chapter18 verse 2 where we read that the Apostle Paul meets a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, in Corinth who had “recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had commanded all Jews to leave Rome.” This provides additional evidence that Jews were indeed expelled and again, since the followers of Jesus were considered Jews, those followers would have been affected as well. But why would the emperor expel the Jews?

As I mentioned, the expulsion seems to have been driven by internal disputes between members of the Jewish community in Rome and not any conflict with Roman citizens or authorities. Claudius, who desperately wanted to maintain order, so more than likely he saw these disruptions as a threat to public peace. By expelling the Jewish community, he may have sought to prevent any potential social or religious unrest in the city. Regardless of why, it seems to have been a temporary expulsion.

After Claudius’ died in 54 AD, Jews began to return to Rome, because apparently there was no active policy in place to enforce their continued exclusion. In fact, by the time the Apostle Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans around 57-58 CE, a Jewish community had reestablished itself in Rome. The long-term effects of the expulsion can, I believe, be seen until this day.

Claudius’ expulsion of the Jews clearly showed how tenuous was the position of Jewish communities within the Roman Empire. Even though Jews were generally tolerated and allowed to practice their religion, they were also vulnerable to expulsion if their presence was perceived as disruptive. In fact, the expulsion also demonstrates some of the challenges that arose as Christianity began to spread, often within Jewish communities. This spread would often lead to internal conflicts that sometimes drew the attention of Roman authorities. Within a few years, Christians would become the target of one of, if not the, most vicious persecutions in the historical church. It’s called the Neronian Persecution.

When we talk about the Neronian persecution, we are referring to what was an incredibly intense persecution of Christians in Rome under Emperor Nero that took place around 64 AD. This persecution is one of the earliest recorded and most infamous episodes of anti-Christian violence in the Roman Empire. Church tradition has it, that it was during this time period that both the Apostle Peter and Paul were put to death. Peter by crucifixion and Paul by beheading. But what would have caused Nero to persecute the Christians.

In July of 64 AD, a massive fire broke out  which devastated many parts of the city of Rome. The fire burned for several days, and it destroyed homes, temples, and other structures. Some sources claim that there were rumors that Nero himself had started the fire in order to clear space for a lavish new palace, to be called the Domus Aurea or the “Golden House”. In order to deflect these rumors and accusations, Nero needed a scapegoat and so he blamed the city’s Christians. The group at the time was still very much a minority religious group that was viewed with suspicion by ordinary Roman citizens.

Nero’s actions against Christians were brutal and very public. Tacitus, a Roman senator and historian, even though he wrote several decades after Nero’s rule went into great detail. His  account suggests that Christians were tortured and executed in horrifying ways, including:

Crucifixion, Being burned alive, Christians were reportedly coated in pitch or tar and set ablaze to serve as night-time “lamps” for Nero’s gardens. They were mauled by wild animals in arenas. This was actually a very common form of execution for prisoners and slaves at the time.

This was not an empire wide persecution; it was very localized to Rome. At this point in time, Christianity was still a relatively small sect, mostly comprising lower-class citizens, slaves, and non-Roman natives, and had not yet gained widespread attention or hostility. The question we must ask is how accurate are the reports?

While Tacitus, Suetonius, and later Christian sources provide accounts, there’s disagreement about their accuracy. Some scholars suggest that Tacitus may have included embellishments, influenced by Roman attitudes toward Christians in his own time. Regardless, the persecution happened, and it marked a turning point in relations between Rome and the early Christians. It highlighted the vulnerability of early Christians and contributed to their self-perception as a persecuted and resilient group. Over time, stories of martyrdom from the Neronian persecution became symbolic in early Christian communities, strengthening their identity and devotion. That was only a part of the legacy.

The Neronian persecution, though brief, had a profound impact on the relationship between Christians and Roman authorities. Nero became a symbol of tyranny and anti-Christian oppression in Christian literature. The persecution also initiated a pattern of suspicion, leading to subsequent persecutions under later emperors, until Christianity was eventually legalized by Emperor Constantine in the early 4th century. We’re still a good 200 years before we get close to when Christianity was officially recognized and blessed by the secular powers, we have to talk about our 3^rd point, and that is the persecution of Christians by Domitian.  

The actual persecution of Christians that took place under Emperor Domitian, who ruled from 81–96 AD is much less well-documented than the actions of Nero. Regardless,  it remains a significant chapter in early Christian history. Domitian’s reign was marked by a much stricter and more autocratic approach than with many of the earlier emperors. He placed an increased focus on loyalty to Rome and to himself as emperor. Although he did not openly launch a widespread campaign against Christians, there are multiple indications o