Background of NT

Toward the end of the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites were freed from exile and permitted to go

back to their homeland (2 Chr 36:22–23). The decree by Cyrus the Great announcing this release

seemed like the liberation from exile promised by the prophets long ago. At the beginning of the

NT, however, Israel was not a free nation: It was a country under the control of the Roman

government (Matt 2:3; Luke 2:1–3). Between the decree of Cyrus and the writing of the NT,

Rome grew into an empire, gaining control over several territories, including Palestine—a

development that directly affected the ministry of Christ and the teaching of Paul and other NT

authors.