Pagan citizens worshiped together in a formal service to the civic gods, including the deified reigning and deceased emperors. They would certainly be puzzled by a religion that had regular meetings, yet possessed no statue of a divinity. Augustus had forbidden associations from meeting more than once a month. Jews had been granted a specific exemption to meet every Sabbath. The weekly meeting of Christians could be alleged to be seditious because it broke the monthly rule. Their meetings could be viewed only with a measure of curiosity at best, and suspicion at worst.
