Also they were Hellenizers, bringing in Greek theater and architecture and rationalism. And in response to those Hellenistic influences, there were a lot of preachers trying to get the Jews to return to the traditions and the godly ways of the past, including the Sadducees and the Pharisees and the Essenes and the Zealots. And one of those preachers, who didn't fit comfortably into any of those four groups, was Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was a preacher who spread his message of peace, love, and above all, justice, across Judea during his actually average-length life for his time. He was remarkably charismatic, attracting a small but incredibly loyal group of followers, and he was said to perform miracles, although it's worth noting that miracles weren't terribly uncommon at the time. Jesus' message was particularly resonant to the poor and downtrodden, and pretty radical in its anti-authoritarian stance. He said it was easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven.