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98 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE spread of Christianity. The Church, in short, is the city of God. Christianity began in Palestine among the Jewish people, who, however, had by this time been subjected to the Teachings of Hellenistic culture which spread through Alex- Chnstiamty an( j er ' s empire. So close was the relationship between Christianity and Judaism that the Hebraic reli- gious literature of the Old Testament was incorporated in one Bible together with the Greek New Testament, which was of Christian authorship and which was believed to ful- fill the prophecies of the Old Testament. To the Hebraic conception of one supreme and personal God, who had created the universe out of nothing and who guided the affairs of men, was now added the Gospel story. It told of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who had been born in this world of a woman, had led a sinless life, had left many social and moral teachings, had worked numerous miracles, had then been crucified by the Jewish priests and Roman governor, but had demonstrated his divinity by rising from the tomb and ascending to heaven and by the workings of the Holy Spirit ever since in his followers. They were held to high standards of morality, were to try to lead pure lives themselves and to engage in loving service of their fellow- men. In return they were promised forgiveness of their past sins, a comforting personal communion with the Holy Spirit, and after death an eternal life of bliss with God. The teachings of the New Testament marked an advance upon those of the Old Testament, whose Mosaic law and Relations chronicles savor in parts of an age of crude super- of Chris- stition and bloodshed — just as its psalms and previous prophets at times reach high planes of moral thought fervor and religious sentiment. The Christian and practice - . , , . . teachings were by no means, however, entirely new or strange to the age in which they were put forth. A gospel of " peace on earth and good-will toward men" chimed in with the peaceful and humane Roman Empire from Au- gustus to Marcus Aurelius. Back four hundred years before Christ the Greek tragic poet Euripides wrote many tender