Judaism, which originated in Ancient Israel, represents the foundation of much of Western civilization's traits thanks to its relation to Christianity. It impacted the West in a multitude of ways, from its ethics to its practices to monotheism; all of its benefits largely impacted the world through Christianity. The Hebrew Bible, authored by Jews in the Land of Israel from the 8th to the 2nd century BCE, is a corner stone of Western civilization. Around 63 BC, Judea became part of the Roman Empire; around 6 BC Jesus was born to a Jewish family in the town of Nazareth, and decades later crucified under Pontius Pilate. His followers later believed that he was resurrected, inspiring them to spread the new Christian religion throughout the world. Christianity took hold in the Hellenistic Greco-Roman world, which eventually grew into the entirety of Europe thanks to Roman expansion. These nations later became the very foundation of today's 'Western world'.