similarly, as a mixture held together by force but having no native binding power. The messianic character of this fourth or Roman Empire was no less prominent than that of its predecessors, as Stauffer’s Christ and the Caesars makes clear. Its imperial power was more syncretistic than that of its predecessors in that less of the native force served as the point of amalgamation. Its concept of unity was less organic and more legal, and hence, while weaker, it was a more enduring concept and was more