where that notion came from and what it meant to Jesus and those to whom he spoke. It is at once apparent that the idea is broader than the term, and we must look for the idea where the term is not present. Indeed, it may come as a surprise to learn that outside of the Gospels the expression “Kingdom of God” is not very common in the New Testament, while in the Old Testament it does not occur at all. But the concept is by no means confined to the New Testament. While it underwent, as we shall see, a radical