How did people make a living
In first century Palestine, society was separated into 3 classes. The upper class, which mostly comprised of clergy, high up Roman political leaders, and very wealthy business owners. The middle class was made of artisans, merchants, sages, scribes, Pharisees, and teachers. The lower class consisted of labourers, slaves, and the unemployable. King Herod also helped fuel the economy by commissioning great public works that would employ thousands of people. At this time women, were treated as second class citizens, just above slaves. They the were the primary caregivers, chefs, and housemaids, in a lower class family, but would live a more extravagant lifestyle if they were part of a richer family.
Trade
Temple courtyards would be transformed into marketplaces where people could barter, and sell products such as fruits, vegetables, dried foods, sacrificial animals, clothes, perfumes, and jewelry. Also throughout the cities there were many shops such as tailors, dyers, weavers, carpenters, and metal workers. The largest exports of Palestine were figs, olives, dates, and vineyards, these were exported to around Europe and Middle East to create a large profit for the merchants. The location of Palestine, right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, allowed for easy access to a fast, cheap way of transportation of these prized goods.