However, the Emperor Julian had different plans for the Christian Jerusalem. Julian did not like Christianity because it had been replacing paganism, and in order to spite the Christians, promised the Jews that he would turn Jerusalem back into a Jewish city, first by building a new Temple (K. Armstrong, 2005, p. 195). Julian attempted to move the religious focal point back to the eastern hill out of his hate for Christianity. His attempt failed, when an earthquake occurred and destroyed the building materials (K. Armstrong, 2005, p. 196). Christians were overjoyed when this happened, as they saw this as divine punishment for the Jews for trying to build a new temple on the Temple Mount, and happy to see that construction of the new temple was aborted (K. Armstrong, 2005, p. 196). This event reinforced the belief that Christianity had taken over the city and Jews had been rejected by God. It showed Christians that the Temple Mount was an off limits area that was not to be built on. When Jerome and Paula entered Jerusalem, Jerome referred to the Temple Mount as “the dungheap of the new Christian Jerusalem” (Schein, 1984, p. 175). Jerome’s language indicates that to the Christians, the Temple Mount was nothing more than just a landfill with no significant meaning. Leaving the Temple Mount as a landfill reminded the Christians of Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the Temple due to the neglect of the Jews towards Yahweh’s will. Christians, on the other hand, had followed the teachings of Jesus, and as a result, Christianity prospered on the western
However, the Emperor Julian had different plans for the Christian Jerusalem. Julian did not like Christianity because it had been replacing paganism, and in order to spite the Christians, promised the Jews that he would turn Jerusalem back into a Jewish city, first by building a new Temple (K. Armstrong, 2005, p. 195). Julian attempted to move the religious focal point back to the eastern hill out of his hate for Christianity. His attempt failed, when an earthquake occurred and destroyed the building materials (K. Armstrong, 2005, p. 196). Christians were overjoyed when this happened, as they saw this as divine punishment for the Jews for trying to build a new temple on the Temple Mount, and happy to see that construction of the new temple was aborted (K. Armstrong, 2005, p. 196). This event reinforced the belief that Christianity had taken over the city and Jews had been rejected by God. It showed Christians that the Temple Mount was an off limits area that was not to be built on. When Jerome and Paula entered Jerusalem, Jerome referred to the Temple Mount as “the dungheap of the new Christian Jerusalem” (Schein, 1984, p. 175). Jerome’s language indicates that to the Christians, the Temple Mount was nothing more than just a landfill with no significant meaning. Leaving the Temple Mount as a landfill reminded the Christians of Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the Temple due to the neglect of the Jews towards Yahweh’s will. Christians, on the other hand, had followed the teachings of Jesus, and as a result, Christianity prospered on the western