130-149 The Jewish Diaspora & Gnosticism

During this 20 year period the Roman Emperor Hadrian (pictured) died in AD 137 and was succeeded by Antonius.

Hadrian's Wall in Britain was finished the year before and in AD 131 there was a Jewish revolt in Jerusalem led by Simon Bar Kokhba against Hadrian's rule.

The Jewish revolt was brutally ended four years later, in 135, as a result of which the Jews were then forbidden to enter Jerusalem.

The Jewish Diaspora started around 132.

Around this time, Gnosticism began to be preached by newcomers to Rome. Led by Valentinus, they claimed superior knowledge of spiritual things and worshipped a Mother Goddess. They wanted to join the church, but the Bishop of Rome, Hyginus 138-142, was suspicious of their theology.

Pius I, who succeeded Hyginus as Bishop of Rome, and ruled over the church from 142-155, also had trouble with the Gnostic Valentinus - along with other new arrivals.

One new arrival was Cerdo, a Syrian, who taught about two equal gods, one good one bad, Jesus being the son of the former; and another new arrival was Marcion who believed the church was wrong to pay attention to the Old Testament, or even the new, and that Jesus was not the Messiah.