By looking at many different forms of theocracy and Caesaropapism, she hopes to create a context that renders comprehensible the emergence of Jesus of Nazareth as a preacher in villages in Galilee, the wildfire spread of Christianity, and its adoption as the official religion by the Roman empire.
France's Cabinet approved a draft bill Wednesday that would give same-sex couples marriage and adoption rights in the face of fierce resistance from the Roman Catholic Church and social conservatives.
The widespread adoption of water mills on a scale never seen in Roman times led not only to a wider range of uses for water power, but an increase in other forms of mechanisation.