Emperor Julian

 Emperor Julian wanted to restore paganism to the Roman Empire. Julian rejected Christianity and did this by appointing pagan priests to oppose Christian bishops, giving special privileges to towns who had never adopted Christianity, and removing Christians from public office. Emperor Julian disliked Christianity because he saw Christians as apostates from Judaism. Since he rejected Christianity he promised the Jews that he would make Jerusalem a Jewish city again. He decided to rebuild the Temple so Jews could offer sacrifices which was believed to be the only way for prayers to reach God. He wanted to build this temple, not to please the Jews, but to harm Christianity. Christians prayed in the martyrium and asked God to avert the disaster, the disaster being the rebuilding of the Temple. Bishop Cyril told the Christians not to lose hope and that the Temple would never be completed. The Christians prayers came true when an earthquake shook the city and caused a fire where the Temple was being built. 

Julian and his army left for Persia on March 5, 363 to regain the states lost to the Sasanian Empire during Constantius' rule. He died while battling the Persians. Jovian, who was a Christian, then became the new Emperor of Rome. When Jovian came into control, he banned the Jews from Jerusalem. After the fire destroyed any hopes of the Temple being rebuilt and Jovian was the new emperor or Rome, Christians “made no effort to conceal their jubilation after this ‘miracle’” (Armstrong 196). Christians spoke about “a giant cross appearing in the sky, stretching from the Mount of Olives to Golgotha” and claimed “crosses mysteriously appeared on the clothes of many pagans and Jews in Jerusalem” (Armstrong 196).

What would've happened if Emperor Julian hadn’t died fighting the Sasanian Empire and ruled the Roman Empire for 20 or more decades? Would Christianity be as prominent as it is today? 

What would Europe look like today? These are all interesting questions to think about!

I believe Christianity would not be as prominent as it is today and pagan religions would be more eminent in today's society.

Book Citation

Armstrong, Karen. Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths. Ballantine Books, 1997.

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