Jerusalem during the Byzantine period

Last updated
Jerusalem Saint Peter in Gallicantu model of the Byzantine city Jerusalem Saint Peter in Gallicantu model of the Byzantine city.jpg
Jerusalem Saint Peter in Gallicantu model of the Byzantine city

During the Byzantine period, in the years between Constantine the Great's rise to power (324 AD) and the conquest of Jerusalem by the Rashidun Caliphate in 637, Jerusalem was under the control of the Byzantine Empire. The essential change in the character and status of the city, compared to the Roman period, was its transformation from a pagan city to a Christian city. The Byzantine rule developed the Roman colony Aelia Capitolina in Jerusalem, turning it into a central Christian city from a religious and administrative point of view (with the administration subject to the institutional-religious hierarchy) and a world center for pilgrimage. At the end of the period, between the years 614–628, Jerusalem was conquered by the Sasanian Empire, but was later recaptured by Byzantine Christians in 629 CE. Jerusalem was captured by the Rashidun Caliphate in 637 CE as part of the Siege of Jerusalem (636–637).

Contents

The Temple Mount in the Byzantine period

Depiction of Jerusalem in the Byzantine Umm ar-Rasas mosaics, identified as Hagia Polis in Greek, the Holy City, during the time of the Abbasid Caliphate in 785. Umm ar-Rasas Church of St. Stephen Jerusalem 2785.jpg
Depiction of Jerusalem in the Byzantine Umm ar-Rasas mosaics, identified as Hagia Polis in Greek, the Holy City, during the time of the Abbasid Caliphate in 785.

Depiction of Jerusalem in the Byzantine Umm ar-Rasas mosaics, identified as Hagia Polis in Greek, the Holy City, during the time of the Abbasid Caliphate in 785. [2]

As part of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, rich findings from the Byzantine period were discovered, including mosaic pieces, ceramics, coins and the remains of large buildings, [3] [4] leading the team to believe there was very likely a Byzantine church built there in antiquity. The Bordeaux Pilgrim reports in 333 about the statues of the emperor Hadrian on the Temple Mount, but it is likely that the idolatrous statues were soon removed. [5] On the Madaba map, the Temple Mount does not appear at all, and since the size of the elements on the map expresses their importance, its absence expresses its lack of importance. Some scholars believe the Temple Mount and its surroundings were even used as a municipal dump. [6] In 361, the emperor Julian came to power, who wanted to renew the face of the empire and retreat from Christianity back to paganism. As part of his Anti-Christian worldview, he also proposed to rebuild the Jewish Temple. [7] The cornerstone of Julian's temple was laid in May 363, but construction stopped about a month later. After the death of Julian, his successor Jovian returned the empire to Christianity.

Jews in Byzantine Jerusalem

In 329 AD, Constantine the Great issued laws prohibiting Jews to own Christian slaves, prohibited mixed marriages and punished by death conversion of Christians to Judaism. [8] Jews did not belong to the Eastern Orthodox faith, which was the state church of the Byzantine Empire. Jews were subject heavy restrictions when approaching Jerusalem, which led to a distancing from the traditions connected with the Mount of Olives. [9] Jews could still practice faith under the rule of the Byzantines, as long as they paid the Fiscus Judaicus. [10] During the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 many Jews sided against the Byzantine Empire in the Jewish revolt against Heraclius, which successfully assisted the invading Persian Sassanids in conquering all of Roman Egypt and Syria.

Structure of the city

Researchers agree that the Byzantine Jerusalem was based on the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina, characterized by two north–south streets: the Cardo, extending south from the Damascus Gate along the Tyropoeon Valley. [11] [12] [13] The religious center of the city was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Its proximity to the Cardo has turned the area into a bustling center of activity throughout the year in general, and on the many holidays in particular. An important urban focal point between the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was Hezekiah's Pool and the Church of Saint John the Baptist.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aelia Capitolina</span> Roman colony built on the ruins of Jerusalem

Aelia Capitolina was a Roman colony founded during Emperor Hadrian's visit to Judaea in 129/130 CE. It was founded on the ruins of Jerusalem, which had been almost totally razed after the siege of 70 CE. This act marked a significant transformation of the city from a Jewish metropolis to a small pagan settlement dedicated to the cult of Capitoline Jupiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Jerusalem</span>

This is a timeline of major events in the history of Jerusalem; a city that had been fought over sixteen times in its history. During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Jerusalem</span>

Jerusalem is one of the world's oldest cities, with a history spanning over 5,000 years. Its origins trace back to around 3000 BCE, with the first settlement near the Gihon Spring. The city is first mentioned in Egyptian execration texts around 2000 BCE as "Rusalimum." By the 17th century BCE, Jerusalem had developed into a fortified city under Canaanite rule, with massive walls protecting its water system. During the Late Bronze Age, Jerusalem became a vassal of Ancient Egypt, as documented in the Amarna letters.

<i>Cardo</i> North–south street in ancient Roman cities

A cardo was a north–south street in ancient Roman cities and military camps as an integral component of city planning. The cardo maximus, or most often the cardo, was the main or central north–south-oriented street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syria Palaestina</span> Province of the Roman Empire (136–390 CE)

Syria Palaestina was the renamed Roman province formerly known as Judaea, following the Roman suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt, in what then became known as the Palestine region between the early 2nd and late 4th centuries AD. The provincial capital was Caesarea Maritima. It forms part of timeline of the period in the region referred to as Roman Palestine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bar Kokhba revolt</span> Jewish rebellion against Roman rule (132–136 CE)

The Bar Kokhba revolt was a large-scale armed rebellion initiated by the Jews of Judea, led by Simon bar Kokhba, against the Roman Empire in 132 CE. Lasting until 135 or early 136, it was the third and final escalation of the Jewish–Roman wars. Like the First Jewish–Roman War and the Second Jewish–Roman War, the Bar Kokhba revolt resulted in a total Jewish defeat; Bar Kokhba himself was killed by Roman troops at Betar in 135 and the Jewish rebels who remained after his death were all killed or enslaved within the next year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem</span> Eastern Orthodox church

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, is an autocephalous church within the wider communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Established in the mid-fifth century as one of the oldest patriarchates in Christendom, it is headquartered in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and led by the patriarch of Jerusalem, currently Theophilos III. The patriarchate's ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes roughly 200,000 to 500,000 Orthodox Christians across the Holy Land in Palestine, Jordan and Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish–Roman wars</span> Series of revolts by the Jews against the Roman Empire between 66 and 135 CE

The Jewish–Roman wars were a series of large-scale revolts by Jewish subjects against the Roman Empire between 66 and 135 CE. The term primarily applies to the First Jewish–Roman War and the Bar Kokhba revolt, nationalist rebellions striving to restore an independent Judean state. Some sources also include the Diaspora revolt, an ethno-religious conflict fought across the Eastern Mediterranean and including the Kitos War in Judaea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)</span> Part of the First Jewish–Roman War

The siege of Jerusalem of 70 CE was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War, in which the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Judaea. Following a five-month siege, the Romans destroyed the city, including the Second Jewish Temple.

The "Third Temple" refers to a hypothetical rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. It would succeed Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple, the former having been destroyed during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in c. 587 BCE and the latter having been destroyed during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70CE. The notion of and desire for the Third Temple is sacred in Judaism, particularly in Orthodox Judaism. It would be the most sacred place of worship for Jews. The Hebrew Bible holds that Jewish prophets called for its construction prior to, or in tandem with, the Messianic Age. The building of the Third Temple also plays a major role in some interpretations of Christian eschatology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious persecution in the Roman Empire</span>

As the Roman Republic, and later the Roman Empire, expanded, it came to include people from a variety of cultures, and religions. The worship of an ever increasing number of deities was tolerated and accepted. The government, and the Romans in general, tended to be tolerant towards most religions and religious practices. Some religions were banned for political reasons rather than dogmatic zeal, and other rites which involved human sacrifice were banned.

<i>Fiscus Judaicus</i> Tax imposed on Jews in the Roman Empire (70–96 CE)

The fiscus Iudaicus or fiscus Judaicus was a tax imposed on Jews in the Roman Empire after the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in AD 70.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerusalem in Christianity</span> Role and significance of Jerusalem in Christianity

Jerusalem's role in first-century Christianity, during the ministry of Jesus and the Apostolic Age, as recorded in the New Testament, gives it great importance, both culturally and religiously, in Christianity. Jerusalem is generally considered the cradle of Christianity.

Hellenistic Judaism was a form of Judaism in classical antiquity that combined Jewish religious tradition with elements of Hellenistic culture. Until the early Muslim conquests of the eastern Mediterranean, the main centers of Hellenistic Judaism were Alexandria in Egypt and Antioch in Turkey, the two main Greek urban settlements of the Middle East and North Africa, both founded in the end of the 4th century BCE in the wake of the conquests of Alexander the Great. Hellenistic Judaism also existed in Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period, where there was a conflict between Hellenizers and traditionalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Jerusalem (636–637)</span> 636–637 CE siege of Byzantine Syrian city by the Rashidun Caliphate

The Siege of Jerusalem (636–637) was part of the Muslim conquest of the Levant and the result of the military efforts of the Rashidun Caliphate against the Byzantine Empire in the year 636–637/38. It began when the Rashidun army, under the command of Abu Ubayda, besieged Jerusalem beginning in November 636. After six months, the Patriarch Sophronius agreed to surrender, on condition that he submit only to the Caliph. In 637 or 638, Caliph Umar traveled to Jerusalem in person to receive the submission of the city. The Patriarch thus surrendered to him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medieval Jerusalem</span>

Jerusalem in the Middle Ages was a major Byzantine metropolis from the 4th century CE before the advent on the early Islamic period in the 7th century saw it become the regional capital of Jund Filastin under successive caliphates. In the later Islamic period it went on to experience a period of more contested ownership, war and decline. Muslim rule was interrupted for a period of about 200 years by the Crusades and the establishment of the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem. At the tail end of the Medieval period, the city was ceded to the Ottomans in 1517, who maintained control of it until the British took it in 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constantine the Great and Judaism</span> Emperor Constantines views and laws regarding Judaism

When Constantine the Great came to power in 306, he worked to stop the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. However, this led to a large split in the treatment of Christians and Jews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in the Roman Empire</span>

The history of the Jews in the Roman Empire traces the interaction of Jews and Romans during the period of the Roman Empire. A Jewish diaspora had migrated to Rome and to the territories of Roman Europe from the land of Israel, Anatolia, Babylon and Alexandria in response to economic hardship and incessant warfare over the land of Israel between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires from the 4th to the 1st centuries BCE. In Rome, Jewish communities thrived economically. Jews became a significant part of the Roman Empire's population in the first century CE, with some estimates as high as 7 million people; however, this estimation has been questioned.

The timeline of the Palestine region is a timeline of major events in the history of Palestine. For more details on the history of Palestine see History of Palestine. In cases where the year or month is uncertain, it is marked with a slash, for example 636/7 and January/February.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cardo (Jerusalem)</span>

The Cardo was a central north-south oriented thoroughfare in Jerusalem during the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. Together with the east-west oriented Decumanus, it reflects typical Roman city planning. The term "Cardo" derives from the Latin word for "hinge," referring to role as the main north–south axis in Roman cities.

References

  1. Paul Stephenson (2022). New Rome: The Empire in the East. Harvard University Press. ISBN   9780674659629 . Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  2. Paul Stephenson (2022). New Rome: The Empire in the East. Harvard University Press. ISBN   9780674659629 . Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. Steinmeyer, Nathan (2024-02-02). "A Byzantine Church on the Temple Mount?". Biblical Archaeology Society. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  4. Fiske, Gavriel. "Tiny weights hint at pre-Muslim Christian presence on Temple Mount – archaeologists". The Times of Israel .
  5. "The Bordeaux Pilgrim". andrewjacobs.org. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  6. Sauter, Megan (2018-01-09). "Taking Out the Trash in Ancient Jerusalem". Biblical Archaeology Society. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  7. Finkelstein, Aryay Bennett (2011). Julian among Jews, Christians and 'Hellenes' in Antioch: Jewish Practice as a Guide to 'Hellenes' and a Goad to Christians (Thesis). ProQuest   879089978.[ page needed ]
  8. "CONSTANTINE I. (FLAVIUS VALERIUS AURELIUS CONSTANTINUS) - JewishEncyclopedia.com". jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  9. Ben-Eliyahu, Eyal (2016-06-01). ""On That Day, His Feet Will Stand on the Mount of Olives": The Mount of Olives and Its Hero between Jews, Christians, and Muslims". Jewish History. 30 (1): 29–42. doi:10.1007/s10835-016-9252-y. ISSN   1572-8579.
  10. "Fiscus Judaicus - Livius". www.livius.org. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  11. Milligan, Mark (2020-09-22). "Aelia Capitolina – Roman Jerusalem". HeritageDaily - Archaeology News. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  12. "Jerusalem's Cardo (BiblePlaces.com)". BiblePlaces.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  13. Readman, Kurt (2023-09-04). "Aelia Capitolina: Jerusalem's Five Centuries as a Roman Town". Historic Mysteries. Retrieved 2024-03-22.