(February 22)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PROFESSOR CARGILL!!
And thanks for the cookies! =)


In this lecture, we learned about Byzantine Jerusalem which lasted from 312 to 637 CE. This Jerusalem is centered more on Christianity, which originated yet is separate from the religion Judaism. Christianity mainly revolves around Jesus, especially the events of his death, burial and resurrection even though Jesus was a Jew. This faith rejects the Temple because the Bible talks about Jesus foreshadowing its destruction. Therefore, Christianity becomes more spiritual and internalized rather than being centered at the Temple like Judaism.
An important figure of this time is Constantine. At the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, he legalizes Christianity, demonstrating that it is okay to be a Christian. Also he he makes it legal to be a Christian, he turned this pacifist religion into a violent one. He changes the way Christianity will be practiced. Then in 324 the Council of Nicaea declared the doctrine of Holy Trinity, and in the 7th canon it states that the city that was once called Jerusalem and is not named Aelia "should have an honored position." In addition during this period, many people believe that this is either the rise of Christianity or the destruction of it. There was only one certain way to be a Christian, and if a person does not follow these specific set of rules, then he/she is not a true Christian. This is what was believed during the reign of Constantine.
Also, the first Christian pilgrimage is credited to Constantine's mother, Helena. Dedications were made to the Church of Nativity and the Church of the Ascension because of this. There was also a re-dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where a chapel was named after her. This displays the importance of this pilgrimage because its illustrates the importance of traveling to Jerusalem as a Christian to commemorate it's holy sites.