Rome

The capital of the Roman Empire. The city began about six centuries before Jesus’s birth. Built on seven hills, Rome lies about ten miles up the Tiber River off the west coast of Italy. At the time of Jesus, more than a million people lived there. By the third and fourth centuries AD, the city had lost its glory and had less than half a million people. Most Roman emperors lived in the city of Rome, and some of them were considered gods by the citizens.

Early Christians were severely persecuted in Rome. Many were killed. Christians sometimes hid and worshipped in tunnels called catacombs beneath the city. Most scholars believe that the wicked city John wrote about in the book of Revelation was the city of Rome. Rome later became an important Christian center.