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BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Luke 6:13,15 – 13When morning came, Jesus called his followers and chose twelve of them. He named them “apostles.” They were…15Matthew; Thomas; James (the son of Halphaeus); Simon (He was named “The Revolutionary”.);b
  • Matthew 4:24-25 – The news about Jesus went all over the land of Syria. They brought him all the people who were sick. These people had all kinds of diseases; they were suffering with much pain. Some of them had demons inside them. Some were epilepticsb and some were paralyzed. Jesus healed them all. 25Large crowds followed him, coming from the land of Galilee, from the area of the Ten Towns,c from Jerusalem, from the land of Judea, and from the area across the Jordan River.
  • Mark 3:5-6 – Jesus looked around at all of them. He was angry, but he was also sad, because their hearts were hard. He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” The man stretched it out. His hand was restored. 6Immediately, the Pharisees and the followers of Herod Antipasa left. They began to make a plot to kill Jesus.
  • Matthew 10:1-2 – Jesus called his twelve followers. He gave them the authority to throw out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: First there was Simon (called Peter); Andrew (Peter’s brother); James (the son of Zebedee); John (James’ brother); 
  • Mark 7:24 – Jesus got up from there and went away to the area near the city of Tyre. He went into a house. (Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where he was, but it was not possible for him to hide.) 
  • Matthew 5:10,22 – The people who have been persecuted because they were doing right are happy, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them…
  • Matthew 5:39-48 – But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be in danger of being punished. Anyone who says ‘You idiot!’b to his brother must answer to the Jewish Council. Anyone who says ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of being punished in hell fire. 
  • Matthew 7:5, 12-16, 21-23 – You are a hypocrite! First, take the pole out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye…12“So, do for other people all the things which you want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the law and the prophets.” 13“Go through the tight door which leads to eternal life. The door is wide and the road is broad which leads to destruction. Many people are entering through it. 14The door which leads to life is tight, and the road is narrow. Only a few people are finding it.” 15“Be careful of false prophets. They come to you wearing some clothes to make them look like sheep, but they are actually fierce wolves. 16You can recognize them by the things they produce. Do people get grapes from thorn bushes? No. Do they gather figs from thorny weeds? No…21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only the person who does what my heavenly Father wants will enter it. 22On that Day, many people will say this to me: ‘Lord! Lord! Isn’t it true that we have prophesied using your name!? By your name, we threw out demons. And, by your name, we performed many miracles.’ 23But then I will say this openly to them: ‘You people who are doing wrong, go away from me, because I never knew you!’ ”
OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Exodus 21:24 – …an eye for an eye,f a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, 

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE

 

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS:
  • WARS OF THE JEWS, BK. I, 16:2-4 – He [Herod] sent three cohorts of footmen….yet were not the enemy [zealots] affrighted….for their skill was that of warriors, but their boldness was the boldness of robbers….fell upon the pursuers, and cooled their courage, till they could not bear…so turned back and ran away….concealed in caves….in the precipices of craggy mountains.
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BOOK 18, 1:1 – Judas…laid the foundation of our future miseries….because the infection which spread thence among the younger sort who were zealous for it….The nation was infected….one violent war came upon us after another….There were also very great robberies and murders….done in pretense indeed for the public welfare.
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BK. 18, 1:1 – But the Jews…took the report of a taxation heinously….There was one Judas, a Galilean…became zealous to draw them to a revolt.
  • WARS OF THE JEWS, BK. I, 16:2 – When Herod reached Sepphoris [his future capital in Galilee] in a very great snow, he took the city without any difficulties.
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BK. 18, 4:1-2 -The nation of the Samaritans did not escape without tumults….desired to go up the mountain [Gerizzim] in a great multitude together.  But Pilate…seizing upon the roads….some of them they slew…took a great many alive…Pilate ordered to be slain….the president of Syria and accused Pilate of the murder….ordered Pilate to go to Rome to answer before the emperor….So Pilate, when he had tarried ten years in Judea, made haste to Rome.
WINSTON CHURCHILL
  • THE BIRTH OF BRITAIN, pg. 2 – 25 – Caesar had invaded Britannia in 55 BC but with little success.  In AD 43, Caesar sent 20,000 troops to subjugate Britannnia.  Brittish Cunobelinus (Shakespeare’s Cymbeline) established an overlordship over the SE of the island with his capital at Colchester, but died just before the invasion, so his sons were still disorganized.  Tactics of the Britons was to elude the invaders until they got discouraged and left.  One of Cunobelinus’ sons escaped to the west coast, Wales, where he roused its tribes and fought the Romans for six years.  It was during these wars that Simon the Zealot first went to Britain, but left.  Finally in AD 50 Rome defeated him and he was paraded as a war trophy in Rome.
  • But full Roman conquest did not occur until AD 60, the year Simon the Zealot returned to Britannia.  According to Suetonius’ The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, that year, Suetonius became the new governor of Britainnia.  His troops invaded the island of Anglesey in adjoining Wales and nearly defeated in fear by warrior Druids meeting them on shore dressed in black like the Furies.  The Romans regained courage and conquered the island, cutting down groves devoted to their religious beliefs including human sacrifice and inquiring their gods by means of human entrails.
  • While Seutonius was in Wales, the king of East Anglian Iceni (County of Norfolk on the opposite side of the island) died.  Roman centurians enslaved the people and plundered the country for themselves.  The king’s widow, Boadicea led an army of 80,000 formerly peaceful Britons burning several major cities, including London, which had been completely Romanized, and military posts and killing 70,000 Romans (according to Tacitus).  The governor’s troops arrived and barely subdued the Britons.
  • It was right after this in AD 61 that Simon the Zealot was arrested, endured a mock trial, and crucified.  Some say Joseph of Aramathea was with him and also crucified.
  • It was not until AD 78 that a new governor replaced Seutonius.  Under him, building of temples, courts of justice, and dwelling houses thrived, and sons of tribal chiefs were given the highest education, and things went so well that the city Britons began wearing Roman togas and building Roman style cities.  For the next three centuries, Britannia enjoyed its peaceful classical era.
WILLIAM STEUART:
  • THE SEARCH FOR THE TWELVE APOSTLES, SIMON:  He is said to have preached in Egypt, Cyrene (SW today’s Turkey), Africa, Martania, Lybi, Carthage, and mostly Britain.  He tried Britain about AD 44, but a war was going on and he did not stay.  He returned about AD 60 during another war which was so brutal, even the Romans were shocked at the stories.  His courageous and fiery sermons wrought converts everywhere, and finally reached the Roman governor in Britain, Suetonius.  He was arrested, went through a mock trial, and crucified about AD 61 along with Joseph of Arimathea with whom he supposedly traveled.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS APPEARING IN OTHER EPISODES

Season 1, Dream Maker, “Weapons of Dust”

Season 1, Dream Maker, “Treasure of Doom”

Season 8, Star Song, “Lost in Wonder”

Season 1, Dream Maker, “Power Meets Power”

Season 3, Folk Hero, “Whirlwind”

Season 5, Promise Keeper, “Fallen Star”