Initial Persecution, A.D. 44

The Initial Persecution of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem:

In A.D. Herod Agrippa (11 B.C. – A.D. 44), the grandson of Herod “the Great” began a systematic persecution of the Christians in Jerusalem; e.g., Herod had James the Son of Zebedee (a.k.a.: James the older brother of John, James the Greater, or James the Great) martyred.

It was around the time of this persecution from King Herod Agrippa (around A.D. 44) that many of the Apostles (and the 70 disciples and those who had converted to Christianity fled Jerusalem and decided to expanded their evangelistic efforts beyond Palestine and they began to travel to the “four corners of the known world” evangelizing as they went. For many of the apostles this date marks the beginning of their wider missionary journeys initially around Palestine, and then the eastern Mediterranean, and then later “to all the world”.

Also in 44 A.D. The Roman Emperor Claudius Decided to Make the Ruler of Judea a Procurator:Also in 44 A.D.

That meant that the ruler of Judea now reported directly to the Emperor in Rome (i.e., Judea was no longing a satellite state of Syria).