On the site of Jerusalem Hadrian founded Aelia Capitolina in the second century. Almost nothing is known about Christianity, whether Judeo-Christian or orthodox Gentile, in Aelia Capitolina from CE 70 until the third century. Nearly all of what is known is through the orthodox eyes of Eusebius of Caesarea. Third-century Aelia was home to pagans, Gentile Christians, and Judeo-Christians, with Jews still forbidden to enter Jerusalem.

The Jews, according to Karen Armstrong, began to renew their contact with the city early in the third century under a Roman relaxation of rules enforcement. She held that by the middle of the third century Jews had Roman permission to go to the Mount of Olives to mourn the Temple from afar. Later they secured leave to mourn on the 9th of Ab, the anniversary date of the Temple�s destruction, upon the Temple Mount itself (Armstrong 1996:169-170 cf. Avi-Yonah 1976:80-81, Wilkin 1993:106).

Eusebius attributed the founding of the library of Aelia, an institution of the city rather than purely an ecclesiastical library, to orthodox Jerusalem bishop Alexander (bishop, 212-251) although Aelia�s pagan population was in the majority. Eusebius used the library and Julius Africanus may have done so as well (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.20.1; Boyle 1955:241, Williamson 1965:198; Veillefond 1970:288-91; Murphy-O�Connor 1994:300-301). Eusebius recorded that he used the library, with its extensive archives, to write his The Ecclesiastical History. He said: "Now there flourished at that time many learned churchmen, and the letters which they penned to one another are still extant and easily accessible. They have been preserved to our day in the library at Aelia, equipped by Alexander, then ruling the church there; from which also we have been able ourselves to gather together the material for our present work" (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.20.1; Boyle 1955:241, Oulton 1986:65). "The ability of the diocese of Aelia to fund a library," contended Murphy-O�Connor, "and its interest in so doing, betray the strength of the church in the colony" at that time (Murphy-O�Connor 1994:301 cf., Vincent and Abel 1922:896�902).

At the dawn of the fourth century Christians made up about 10%, or 6 million, of the empire�s population and Jews about 2% or 3 million. While most Judeo-Christians and Jews lived in the East it is unlikely that Jerusalem, an insignificant predominantly pagan city devoid of Jews, entered the fourth century with a Christian population of more than a respectable minority constantly at odds with its pagan cults. Indeed, Jerusalem�s pagan population resisted and opposed all forms of Christianity for over two centuries.

There is some question relating to the continuing Judeo-Christian access to Aelia Capitolina after CE 135. Throughout the Apostolic Age, Judeo-Christians were pacifists. They took no part in war. While the sanctity of human life was a historic component in Jewish teaching, Judeo-Christians went further by rejecting any resort to violence against human beings. This required the rejection of the use of war and violence by its members which led to difficulty with Jews in the CE 66-70 and CE 132-135 attempts to become free of Roman rule.

By refusing to take part in these conflicts, Judeo-Christians appeared to Jews as loyalists to the Romans. The Romans apparently rewarded Judeo-Christians with continuing access to Aelia Capitolina following the Bar Kochba Revolt but denied Jews access to the city under the pain of death. Hence, the Roman decree denying access to Jerusalem applied to Jews but not to Judeo-Christians.

Page last edited: 01/26/06 07:12 PM

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