The Plight of Judeo-Christians

Beginning with Constantine the Great the social policy of the Roman government, at least when in the charge of orthodox emperors, was the elimination of paganism and the bringing about of unity in Byzantine Christianity, based upon a common core of fundamental orthodox beliefs, thereby furthering the stability of the Roman state. In Bagatti�s words:

The decisions made in the fourth century orthodox Church Councils and the de facto invasion of Judea by the orthodox�seeking Holy Sites to build churches, establish monuments, find artifacts and relics, to be closer to the land where Jesus dwelt, and to bring about the unity of the faith�unavoidably led to cultural conflict between the orthodox and Judeo-Christians. The orthodox used the power of the Roman state to strip Judeo-Christians of their churches and to criminalize their observance of the Sabbath, annual Sabbaths, and the Nisan 14 Christian Passover.

Table 1, below, provides a chronology of salient events from the beginning of the fourth century to the 381 seizure of the Judeo-Christian synagogue on Sion by the Byzantines pursuant to an decree by Theodosius I. These catastrophes were of such magnitude for Judeo-Christianity that it did not recover. In later centuries only a remnant of its people occasionally appeared here and there within the territory of the Great Universal Church that saw itself as catholic and apostolic.

Table 1 Salient Dates CE 300�381
303	Eusebius writes his Proof of the Gospel (Demonstratio Evangelica) Diocletian issues edict against Christians resulting in their last and worst persecution by the Romans
311	On April 30 Emperor Galerius issues edict of tolerance toward Christians, known as the Edict of Milan, reinstating their privileges "as long as they do not interfere with public order"
314	Macarius becomes Bishop of Jerusalem
ca. 313	Eusebius becomes Bishop of Caesarea
324	Constantine by defeating Licinius becomes master of the East
325	Greco-Roman bishops meet in the First Council of Nicea, with no Judeo-Christian bishops present, and adopt anti-Judaic legislation to eliminate nonconformity in Greco-Roman orthodoxy Jerusalem, bishop Macarius gains the emperor's support for destroying the Capitoline temple and excavating beneath its platform for Jesus' tomb
326	Temple of Jupiter and the Venus shrine razed in Aliea Capitolina and search made for Tomb of Jesus beneath the Temple of Jupiter. Late in the year dowager empress Helena Augusta arrives in Jerusalem during the planning of the Martyrdom and in the course of the excavation Eusebius requests and receives an audience with Constantine to present his scriptural discourse on the subject of Jesus� sepulcher
327	Death of dowager empress Helena Augusta
330	Constantinople founded
331	Julian born into a Christian family
333	Pilgrim from Bordeaux visits Jerusalem Death of bishop Macarius
335	Council of Jerusalem and dedication of buildings on Golgotha where Eusebius raises the authenticity matter in his remarks pressing Constantine to reveal his logic in identifying the holy sepulcher
337	Death of Constantine (baptized on his deathbed)
337-361	Reign of Constantius II
ca. 340	Death of Eusebius
sometime between 343�381	Council of Laodicea meeting at Laodicea in Phrygia Pacatiana adopts 29th cannon banning the keeping of the Jewish Sabbath by any Greco-Roman Christian within their sees
347�348	Cyril of Jerusalem (still a presbyter) gives Catachetical Lectures wherein he refers to the Upper Church of Sion Jerome born
350	Gentiles overwhelmingly dominate Christianity as they make up 90% of all Christians and 50% of the population of the Roman empire
ca. 351	Cyril becomes Bishop of Jerusalem
361-363	Reign of Julian "the apostate"
362	The Emperor Julian issues two letters to the community of the Jews and authorizes them to rebuild the Jewish Temple with Alypius overseeing the construction, eliminates special levees on the Jews, and removes restrictions on their access to Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem).
363--364	Emperor Jovian restores Christianity
364	Roman empire again divided into East and West
364�378	Valentinian and Valen (Arian emperors) persecute those who hold the Nicene doctrine
372	First visit of Jerome to the Levant
374	Epiphanius of Salamis in his Ancorarus omits Sion in his enumeration of the holy sites of the Passion
ca. 376	Epiphanius in his Panarion makes it clear that Judeo-Christians are not Christians
378	Optatus of Mileve noted the absence of any synagogue of the Jews on Sion
379	Theodosius I made emperor in the East by Gratian Visit of Gregory of Nyssa to Jerusalem
379-395	Reign of Theodosius
381�384	Egeria visits Palestine and Egypt
381	First Council of Constantinople and Decree by Theodosius I The Upper Church (the old synagogue on Sion) seized from the Judeo-Christians by the Byzantines following the First Council of Constantinople

Table 1 Salient Dates CE 300�381