Christianity is usually said to have been founded in the 1st century, in the decades around the death and reported resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, roughly between about 30 and 33 CE.

Quick Scoop: Key Dates

  • Jesus of Nazareth lived and was crucified in Roman Judea in the early 1st century CE (many historians place his death around 30–33 CE).
  • Christianity emerged immediately after this, as his Jewish followers began preaching that he had risen from the dead and was the promised Messiah.
  • By the mid–1st century, organized communities of believers (churches) existed around the eastern Mediterranean, so most scholars treat this period as the “founding era” of Christianity.

So, while there is no single official “founding year,” mainstream historical framing is:

Christianity began as a distinct movement in the early 1st century CE , shortly after the death of Jesus, around 30–33 CE.

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