Social Conflict in Early Roman Palestine: A Heuristic Model

Social conflict was a social phenomenon in early Roman Palestine and may be explored with social-scientific models. A model is proposed that contains the contrasting elite and non-elite ideologies across various applicable social domains. Furthermore, the influence of Roman imperialism is indicated on each social domain. Taken as a whole, the model describes the competitive and alternate visions of society among the elite and non-elite. The model may assist in highlighting social conflict in textual data with early Roman Palestine as a narrative location. It is suggested that the model is applied as a heuristic instrument. Luke 19:1–27, which includes the conversion of Zacchaeus and the parable of the Minas, is discussed as an example of the heuristic value of the model.