Hadrian's grand progress through Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, according to Peters, occurred in CE 129�130, when several cities were rebuilt at the imperial command and expense (Peters 1985:126). Relative to the interwar period condition of Jerusalem he offered the following:

Jerusalem was undoubtedly a ruined city after A.D. 70, but it was not an abandoned one. The Tenth Legion put there by Titus still had its station there where Herod once had his palace along the western city wall, and at least some of the Christians returned from their self-imposed exile to Pella. The Jewish evidence is far less direct, but since there was as yet no ban on their living in Jerusalem, there is not reason to think that some Jews did not choose to do so. There was certainly Jewish pilgrims to the city, and it has been argued that that fact, when added to the evidence for reburial, makes plausible some kind of Jewish settlement in Jerusalem after A.D. 70. (Peters 1985:125.)

McRay, acknowledging Jack Finegan�s suggestion that the Tomb of David/Cenacle might have been a Judeo-Christian place of assembly, pointed out that:

Bargil Pixner has expanded on Finegan�s idea, demonstrating that the remains are from a Roman-period Judeo-Christian synagogue known as the Church of the Apostles. The synagogue, he argues, was built in the decade after 73 when Jewish Christians returned from Pella. They are believed to have reused Herodian stone from the Temple Mount for the structure, orienting the niche toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher rather than toward the site of the temple, as was the practice for Jewish synagogues built before 70. Some of the Herodian stones have been found in the portion of the first-century wall that still stands. (McRay 1991:203.see also Pixner 1990.)

According to Dio Cassius (ca. 150-235) when Roman emperor Hadrian made a grand progress through Syria, Palestine, and Egypt in CE 129�130 a number of cities were rebuilt at imperial command and expense. Hadrian thoroughly inspected all Roman garrisons and forts eliminating some, relocating others, and establishing new ones (Dio Cassius Roman History 69.9.1; Cary 1969:441). Dio stated that the Emperor, consistent with this grand progress, visited Jerusalem, ca. CE 130, contemplated certain building programs in the city, renamed it Aelia Capitolina, and raised a new temple to Jupiter (Dio Cassius Roman History 69.12.1-2; Cary 1969:447). Concerning that imperial visit, Epiphanius said that Hadrian saw a small Church of God (Epiphanius De Mensuris 14; Koester 1989:93).

This information, from all three writers, is hearsay with Dio closest to actual events. Both Eusebius and Epiphanius were prolific writers deeply committed to orthodoxy. Both men were well-versed, knowledgeable historians and scholars who demonstrated in their writings their use of the records and original sources extant in their day. While their orthodox paradigm appears throughout their writings there is little, if any, reason to doubt the veracity of their statements as used above. In these instances their statements were incidental and peripheral to Greco-Roman orthodoxy. Particularly in regard to the statement from Epiphanius about Hadrian and the small Church of God on Mt. Sion the report was such a peripheral piece of information that it served no known orthodox purpose to contrive it. Apparently he simply passed on information he understood from his own study to be fact as he recounted historical events.

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

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