Early Christian Jerusalem

Analytical Essay #4: Early Christian Jerusalem

Jerusalem became a Christian city by the destruction and reconstruction of temples and worship areas around the city. There are several accounts of this happening and Yarbrough describes the building made by each Christian Empire. The entire city had been reconstructed to focus on the cross, Jesus’s tomb, and his resurrection. The city was not always seen as the center for Christian life, especially at the beginning of the 4th century. There was turmoil amongst church leaders about the religious sanctity of Jerusalem over the rest of the world. Church leaders argued that there was nothing special about the “holy places” in Jerusalem in comparison to their lands. Yarbrough argues that the buildings, importance, and events that all happened in Jerusalem make it a very religious spot and the leaders that started the construction of the new sites are responsible for changing it from a Jewish City to a Christian City.

E.P. Sanders is quoted in the essay describing that Jesus himself said that the Temple would be destroyed and something even more glorious would take its place. He then goes on to explain that the Romans thought Jesus was threatening them and their religion which is what caused him to be crucified. They were concerned about his plans and were warned that he upset the peaceful city. The reason for His followers to continue with their work was that they understood what he meant about a new kingdom rising. It was not a threat to Roman empire, but to religions. When Jesus’s followers are sent away they know that they have to go out and find more of his disciples, like his last words to them say. Christians describe Jerusalem in the Bible with such heavenly conviction, but they were not the first to do that. The Israelites also described Jerusalem as a very holy place and use a language that contributes to the similarities between the religions. Barbara Geller in Transitions and Trajectories: Jews and Christians in the Roman Empire, describes that the shared characteristics between Judaism and Christianity are what helped both religions survive and remain prominent religions. The fight over the holy land could have destroyed both, but the commonalities among them were part of their survival.

The Christians ruled over Jerusalem for 300 years and they created temples and monasteries to help aid in their spread of Christianity as well as give people a reason to Pilgrim to Jerusalem. The temples and monasteries that were built in Christian Jerusalem were apart of the economic and social success of the city. There were temples constructed on every holy site by