when and where did christianity begin

Christianity began in the 1st century CE in Roman Judea , centered on the life, death, and followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Its earliest communities formed in the Levant , especially Jerusalem , and then spread through the eastern Mediterranean and beyond.

Quick Scoop

• When: Around the 30s CE , after Jesus’ ministry and crucifixion.

• Where: Judea / Jerusalem in the Roman province of Judea, with early growth across Syria, Antioch, Asia Minor, Greece, and Egypt.

• First followers: Jesus’ disciples and later apostles built the earliest Christian communities.

• First use of “Christians”: Traditionally linked to Antioch of Syria.

Simple way to think about it

Christianity did not start as a separate world religion overnight. It began as a Jewish movement around Jesus, then gradually became distinct as it spread to non-Jewish believers in the 1st and 2nd centuries.

Bottom line

If you want the shortest answer: Christianity began in the 1st century CE in Judea, especially around Jerusalem, and then spread outward from there.