Constantine's Effect on Jerusalem
Constantine was a Roman emperor who changed the direction of the Empire forever, and in doing so, also changed the direction of Jerusalem. After his victory at Milvian Bridge, Constantine promulgated the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., marking a turning point in the treatment of Christians in the Roman Empire. For hundreds of years prior to its passing, Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire and oppression against Christians was encouraged by the Roman emperors(Porter 2). The Edict marked the end of the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, as well as “the return of places of worship to Christians, as well as properties that had been confiscated by the Romans and sold to individuals”(Porter 17).
The effects of the edict were felt all over the Empire, and while Constantine “would not promote Christianity at the expense of other faiths”(Armstrong 174), this belief would change after his passing. Without Christianity being outlawed, it grew quickly all over the Empire, bringing in some of the Empire’s best. This new birth of Christianity involved the rooting out and undermining of paganism, including Judaism in Jerusalem(Armstrong 180). Both religions, Christianity and Judaism had claims to Jerusalem through their histories, but with the recent power shift to Christians resulting from the Edict of Milan, they would quickly emerge as the dominant force. This New Jerusalem being formed by Christians was “built over against its predecessors”, with a “contempous assertion of superiority over Judaism”(Armstrong 185). This anti-Judaism sentiment by the Christians would extend far, with Christians trying to make sure that Jews were never permitted to live in Jerusalem while they were in power there, and eventually, legislation was passed “forbidding intermarriage between Jews and Christians and prohibiting Jews from owning slaves”(Armstrong 192). All of these measures were taken to cripple Jewish industry and morale.
While it did not seem to be Constantine’s intention, the Edict of Milan resulted in Christianity becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire. With the Christians also having claims to Jerusalem, and with the power shifting their way, they incrementally forced the Jews out of a city they also had a claim to, reducing their rights and liberties while doing so. For now, Jerusalem was a Christian city.
Image Source: https://absolutareligion.com/c-cristianismo/edicto-de-milan/
Citations:
Porter, Monica. “Edict of Milan: Background, Characteristics, Consequences.” Warbletoncouncil, 13 Mar. 2021, warbletoncouncil.org/edicto-de-milan-4114#menu-1.
The effects of the edict were felt all over the Empire, and while Constantine “would not promote Christianity at the expense of other faiths”(Armstrong 174), this belief would change after his passing. Without Christianity being outlawed, it grew quickly all over the Empire, bringing in some of the Empire’s best. This new birth of Christianity involved the rooting out and undermining of paganism, including Judaism in Jerusalem(Armstrong 180). Both religions, Christianity and Judaism had claims to Jerusalem through their histories, but with the recent power shift to Christians resulting from the Edict of Milan, they would quickly emerge as the dominant force. This New Jerusalem being formed by Christians was “built over against its predecessors”, with a “contempous assertion of superiority over Judaism”(Armstrong 185). This anti-Judaism sentiment by the Christians would extend far, with Christians trying to make sure that Jews were never permitted to live in Jerusalem while they were in power there, and eventually, legislation was passed “forbidding intermarriage between Jews and Christians and prohibiting Jews from owning slaves”(Armstrong 192). All of these measures were taken to cripple Jewish industry and morale.
While it did not seem to be Constantine’s intention, the Edict of Milan resulted in Christianity becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire. With the Christians also having claims to Jerusalem, and with the power shifting their way, they incrementally forced the Jews out of a city they also had a claim to, reducing their rights and liberties while doing so. For now, Jerusalem was a Christian city.
Image Source: https://absolutareligion.com/c-cristianismo/edicto-de-milan/
Citations:
Porter, Monica. “Edict of Milan: Background, Characteristics, Consequences.” Warbletoncouncil, 13 Mar. 2021, warbletoncouncil.org/edicto-de-milan-4114#menu-1.
Nice post. I like that you bring in an outside source, but I'm not entirely sure about the website, warbletoncouncil.org. It's not necessarily a bad source of information, but the about page is really vague in terms of their purpose, other than provide free information and with a vague claim that "For articles, the authors use verified sources that we believe are reliable, but there is no warranty or implied accuracy or validity." Remember that if possible it's always best to use vetted sources (e.g. peer reviewed publishers, established news organizations).
ReplyDelete