Jesus of Nazareth.
In the first century in JUDEA, a provincial backwater of the mighty Roman Empire. An itinerant Jewish teacher and healer named Jesus of Nazareth preached a set of dynamic spiritual truths that became among the most influential words ever uttered. Jesus was considered by his disciples to be the Christ, the 'Anointed One', or Messiah, who would usher in the period of God's reign on earth.
The Bible, Old and New Testament.
Estimated at 1.5 billion.
Christianity consists of three main sects: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant. Among Protestants there are over 20,000 denominations.
In 1054 AD, Christendom was rent asunder by a division that still has profound repercussions today. For it marked the beginnings - as distinct entities - of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. This division did not happen out of the blue but was the culmination of differences in the cultural, linguistic, spiritual, and political traditions that had grown between the western and eastern halves of Christendom.