Week 8!

Tuesday: BYZANTINE JERUSALEM

The Romans banned the Jews from Jerusalem and converted the city into a Roman city known as Aelia Capitolia. In 285 CE, Emperor Diocletian splits the administration of Roman Empire between West and East instituting a tetrarchy. The tetrarchy did not work well and eventually Constantine the Great comes into power in 312 CE. During the Battle of Malvian Bridge in 312 CE, Constantine uses Christianity to unify his entire kingdom and conquer in the name of Jesus. In 313 CE in the Edict of Milan, Christianity is legalized and begins to expand westward. Constantine turns the Christian faith based off of the teachings of Jesus into a religion that conquers in the name of Jesus. He fundamentally changes the religion. Helena, the mother of Constantine, rededicated the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Holy Sepulcher becomes the new Axis Mundi.

In 361, Julian “the Apostate” takes control and tries to convert Jerusalem back into a Jewish city. He attempts to rebuild the Temple and rejected Christianity. But in 391 Theodosius names Christianity the state religion and undid the changes of Julian.  Christian Jerusalem under the rule of Justinian expands the there is the building of the Nea or New Church. We learned about the many pilgrimages that occurred during the time and then looked at the Madaba Map. The Madaba Map is a mosaic on the church floor that is highly accurate and depicts all the gates of the city, the cardo, and the church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Thursday: ISLAMIC JERUSALEM

Sasanians take Palestine and Jerusalem until 628 CE. When Muhammad leaves no heir, Caliphs (delegates or representatives) are established to lead the Islamic community. The Muslim Caliph Umar takes Jerusalem in 638 CE marking the beginning of the Umayyad Dynasty. Caliph Umar allowed for the Jews to resettle back in Jerusalem. The city, whose name was changed to Aelia Capitolia, became Al Quds or “The Holy” under Islamic rule. Caliph Abd al-Malik builds the Dome of the Rock in 691 CE to divert pilgrimage from Mecca to Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is built of the site of Caliph Umar’s mosque. The Dome of the Rock was modeled after the Byzantine Martyria and was intended to outshine Christian monuments and demonstrate the final truth of Islam. The Dome of the Rock, like Jerusalem, attracted many stories and legends. The Al-Aqsa Mosque or “The Farthest Mosque” was built by Caliph Walid al-Malik was a prayer at the Al-Aqsa mosque is said to be 500 times a prayer elsewhere. Along with the Dome of the Rock there was the Dome of the Chain, the place where final judgment will occur in the end of days. The five “Pillars” of Islam were also discussed: Shahada (testimony or witness), Slata (Prayer 5 times a day), Zakat (almsgiving to the needy), Sawm (fasting in the month of Ramadan), and Hajj (making pilgrimage to Mecca one in one’s lifetime).

Professor finished up the lecture the following Tuesday and discussed the Abbasid Dynasty and the Fatimids. The Abbasid Dynasty tried to wipe out memory of Umayyid’s accomplishments and tried to take credit for building the Dome of the Rock. In 965 CE Muhammad al-Sanhaji, governor of Jerusalem kills John the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Fatimids ruled from 969-1099. It was marked by a period of upheaval, but the population of Jerusalem steadily increased. The welfare of Christians and Hews changed depending on ruler. In 1009 Caliph al-Hakin orders the destruction of all Jewish and Christian houses of prayer including the Holy Sepulcher. In 1034 the Dome of the Rock is restored and the City walls rebuilt. In 1070 the Seljuqs occupy Jerusalem, destroying and looting much of the city and massacring thousands of its inhabitants. But in 1098 the Fatimids lead a 40-day siege on Jerusalem’s fortifications and eventually retake the city from the Seljuqs.