Curated OER
Belief Systems Along the Silk Roads
Students reflect on similarities and differences among belief systems. Using excerpts of translated religious texts, they organize these quotations into broad themes. The quotations will be posted on a Silk Roads map as reminders of how...
Curated OER
Byzantine Art: 5th century to 1453 AD
Art and architecture are great ways to help define historical periods and cultural norms. Take a critical look at the art of the Byzantine period as seen under Justinian rule. Iconography, vocabulary, religious, and political concepts...
Curated OER
Egg-citing Easter Art Activities
Easter art projects can be used to teach students about a variety of cultural art forms.
Curated OER
Christmas Lesson Plans
Students learn about the Christmas season through music, research, and other activities.
Curated OER
Olympics (World Celebrations)
Students recognize the meanings and symbolism of the Olympic Flag and Torch and apply this to their own feelings of the classroom by creating their own symbol/flag to represent these feelings.
PBS
Pbs: Recovering the Material World of the Early Christians
A scholarly article in which the author discusses the recent archaeological discoveries that have allowed us to construct a picture of the world of the early Christians. These findings include ancient manuscripts, ancient inscriptions...
Other
Ray Stedman: From Guilt to Glory: Studies in Romans
This site, which includes 39 expository messages on Romans, will enrich your understanding of this important letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Rome.
United Nations
Unesco: Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna
This World Heritage website features Ravenna in Italy, which was the center of the Roman Empire at one point, and later of the Byzantine Empire in Italy. Presented on this website are eight Christian buildings, and their mosaics, from...
Franco Cavazzi
Roman Empire: Roman Religion
This site describes the Roman religion. It explains the gods and goddesses and their origins, prayer and sacrifice, offices of the state religion, festivals, and the beginning of Christianity.
PBS
Pbs: The Roman Empire of the 1st Century: Religion and Politics in Daily Life
In this lesson, students will examine various aspects of religion in ancient Rome including the role of mythology, polytheism versus. monotheism, the treatment of Jews and Christians, and the spread of Christianity. To guide their...
Stanford University
Stanford History Education Group: Roman Empire and Christianity
[Free Registration/Login Required] Lesson in which students investigate several sources to determine why the Roman Empire persecuted Christians. Inlcudes downloadable lesson plan, PowerPoint, original documents, teacher and student...
Other
University of Illinois: The Early Centuries of the Greek Roman East
Read about the history of the Romiosini, or Greek Middle Ages and the development of the Greek-Roman east. The article is divided into two different sections. The first section includes the foundation of Constantinople as a means to...
New Advent
Catholic Encyclopedia: Roman Catacombs
This provides in depth information about many aspects of the catacombs of Rome which were used by early Christians. Position, history and artifacts are all discussed. Please note that ?The Catholic Encyclopedia? is a historic reference...
PBS
Pbs Frontline: Pliny's Policy of Execution
An nice article which describes the first attempt of the Romans to deal with early Christians in 112 C.E. Pliny the Younger decided to use execution and it marks the beginning of the Roman persecution of the Christians.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Distorting Madonna in Medieval Art
After Rome was destroyed, people were wary of attachment to physical beauty. As Christianity gained traction, Romans instead began to focus on the metaphysical beauty of virtue, and art began to follow suit. James Earle discusses how...
PBS
Timeline of Peter and Paul
A timeline that is a part of a PBS documentary about Peter and Paul. The timeline shows what is happening in the Roman Empire at the same time as events in the Jewish communities.
Curated OER
Unesco: Hungary: Early Christian Necropolis of Pecs (Sopianae)
In the 4th century, a remarkable series of decorated tombs were constructed in the cemetery of the Roman provincial town of Sopianae (modern Pecs). These are important both structurally and architecturally, since they were built as...
Other
Prayerbook: The Letter of Paul to the Romans
Details about Paul's letter to the Christian community at Rome, which centers on the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
Georgetown University
Augustine the African
A short but detailed biographical sketch on St. Augustine with nice information about his early life, his role in early Christianity and more.
Stanford University
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
An in-depth study of the Christian philosopher from the 6th century C.E. There is a comprehensive biographical sketch plus nice analysis of his major works and ideas.
Curated OER
Bbc History: Ancient History: Romans: Roman Religions: Catacomb Fresco
Fresco of the Good Shepard painted on the ceiling of cataccomb (an underground burial chamber) in ancient Rome (early fourth century A.D.).
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Trials of Giordano Bruno (1592 1600)
In the early morning light of Ash Wednesday, the primary day in the Church calendar for Christian penance, Giordano Bruno, one of the most original minds of the sixteenth century, rode into Rome's Campo de' Fiori on a mule. Stripped...