Christians: physical history

Christianity on the map: from a persecuted sect in Roman Palestine to the empire’s religion, Europe’s faith, the companion of colonial expansion — and today the largest faith, now centred in Africa and Latin America.

The Qur’an honours ‘Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) as a prophet and says he was not killed or crucified (an-Nisa’ 4:157); the events below are the Christian community’s own history.