From a Remote Outpost to Landowners: The Remarkable Journey of Christianity and How It Shapes Jerusalem to This Day

Nir Topper
Mar 19
6 min read

The transformation of Christianity from a small Jewish sect on a remote fringe of the Roman Empire into the religion of the Empire—and later the most widespread faith in the world—is one of the most dramatic and surprising processes in history. After nearly three hundred years of persecution due to the believers' refusal to worship Roman idols and the Emperor, Emperor Constantine changed the policy to unify a fractured empire. According to Christian tradition, the turning point is attributed to a revelation he experienced in 312 AD, on the eve of battle; he saw the 'Christogram' symbol in the sky (the Greek letters XP, shorthand for "Christos" in Greek) under the inscription "In this sign, you shall conquer." Following this vision, Constantine marked his soldiers' shields with this symbol and won the battle. The Christogram was, in fact, the first symbol of Christianity, predating the cross.

In 313 AD, Constantine declared Christianity a permitted religion (the Edict of Milan), and by 380 AD, it was declared the official religion of the Roman Empire. This shift institutionalized a hierarchy and political power that shaped Europe and the Middle East for centuries.

During this period, the Empire was divided into the Eastern part, with its capital in Constantinople, and the Western part, with its capital in Rome. The collapse of the West in the 5th century created a power vacuum filled by the institution of the Papacy. Leaders of the Latin Church, such as Leo I and Gregory I, were forced to assume urgent civil and political roles—from negotiating with invaders to feeding the population. These actions transformed the Papacy into an independent political force that did not rely solely on religious authority, turning Rome into a bastion of hierarchical governance and stability.

In contrast, a completely different dynamic developed in the East around the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Due to the strength of the Byzantine Empire, the Church existed under the shadow of the Emperor's authority, who frequently intervened in Church affairs, including the appointment of its leaders. The Patriarch, head of the Eastern Church, was perceived as "First among equals" (Primus inter pares)—morally and spiritually leading a system of independent churches, yet holding an equal voice to every bishop heading one of those churches. This stood in contrast to the centralized and legal authority that developed in Rome under the Pope.

For centuries, a long process of alienation grew between the two churches (East and West). Disputes over papal authority and sharp theological arguments culminated in the "Great Schism" of 1054, expressed through mutual excommunications between the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Constantinople. In fact, the terms "Catholic" and "Orthodox," which were in use even before the split, became fixed afterward as separate and distinguishing identities between the churches.

The term "Catholic" originates from the Greek Katholikos, meaning "Universal" or "Inclusive," expressing the Western Church's aspiration to be the unifying and general body of believers under a single leadership. The term "Orthodox" combines the Greek words Ortho (straight/correct) and Doxa (belief/glory), meaning "the right belief." This name expresses the Eastern Church's perception of itself as the guardian of the original Christian tradition. The rift between the two churches became seemingly irreparable after the 4th Crusade in 1204, when Crusader armies (arriving from the West) sacked Constantinople itself—an event still perceived today as a painful historical betrayal.

In the 16th century, Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation caused another shockwave. Alongside the protest against Church corruption, it was a political revolution that allowed rulers to break free from Rome's economic and political patronage. Lutheranism was adopted in Germany and Scandinavia, and in England, Henry VIII led an official break in 1534. In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg anchored the principle "Cuius regio, eius religio" (Whose realm, his religion), ending the religious struggle in the Holy Roman Empire. This arrangement fixed a geographical and religious divide that shaped modern national sovereignty in Europe.

Although the rift between Catholics and Orthodox seemed eternal for nearly nine hundred years after the 1054 split, the 20th century brought winds of reconciliation. In January 1964, a historic and moving meeting took place in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I. The meeting, the first between the heads of the two churches since 1438, symbolized the breaking of barriers, and in December 1965, it led to the mutual lifting of the ancient excommunications from 1054. Visual evidence of this meeting can be found in the plaza of the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where a statue stands commemorating the two embracing—a symbol of the aspiration to heal the rifts and build bridges of understanding between the different churches.

Even today, these ancient institutions continue to influence the geopolitical map. In Israel, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem is particularly prominent. The name "Greek" stems from the Byzantine heritage—which adopted Greek language and culture as the language of administration and theology in the East. To this day, the senior ranks within it are of Greek origin. The Greek Patriarchate claims to be the original "Mother Church" established in Jerusalem by the Apostles, with James the Just, the brother of Yeshua, as its first bishop.

On the Catholic-Latin side, the "Custody of the Holy Land" (Custodia Terrae Sanctae) of the Catholic Franciscan Order operates. The Franciscans began operating in the land as early as the 13th century, and in 1342, they received the official mandate from Pope Clement VI to serve as representatives of the Holy See and the Catholic world as guardians of the holy sites.

These two bodies are not only religious authorities but also significant economic and real estate entities. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, considered the second-largest private landowner in Israel after the Israel Land Authority, owns vast land reserves, historical buildings, commercial areas, and entire residential neighborhoods—such as large parts of Rehavia, Talbiya, and Nayot in Jerusalem, and even the land on which the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) building stands. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land also holds holy sites and numerous properties throughout the country.

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When touring Jerusalem, the presence of these two entities can be seen at every corner. The center of the Greek Patriarchate is located in an impressive complex in the heart of the Christian Quarter, and its distinct symbol is the "Taphos"—a monogram composed of the Greek letters Tau and Phi (ΤΦ). It is an abbreviation of the Greek word taphos (τάφος), meaning "Tomb"; in a longer version, the letters represent the words Phylakes Taphou (Φύלהκες Τάφου)—"Guardians of the Tomb." This symbol can be found on most Greek Orthodox buildings in Jerusalem.

On the other hand, the center of the Custody of the Holy Land is located in the San Salvatore (Holy Savior) Monastery near the New Gate in the Christian Quarter. The symbols of the Custody are the "Jerusalem Cross" with its five crosses, which was also the symbol of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the symbol of the two crossed arms of Saint Francis and Yeshua. A unique and rare phenomenon in the Israeli landscape is the flying of the Vatican flag—yellow and white with the symbol of the crossed keys—above buildings belonging to the Holy See or its official institutions in Jerusalem, a sight not common elsewhere in the country.

The history of Christianity and its divisions are processes that began in the alleys of Jerusalem and continued in the basilicas of Rome and Constantinople, but they continue to echo in every visit to the Old City of Jerusalem.

Image 1: The Constantine Cross, Christogram – a monogram crossing the first two letters of the word "Christos" ("Messiah" in Greek - Χριστός). The coin is from the 4th century, featuring the "Chi-Rho" on one side. On the other side is Magnentius, Roman Emperor (350–353 AD).

Image 2: Symbol of the Greek Patriarchate – the "Taphos" (ΤΦ monogram). Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 3: Symbol of the Greek Patriarchate above the door of the Greek Patriarchate headquarters, Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 4: Symbol of the "Custody of the Holy Land" (Custodia Terrae Sanctae) – the Jerusalem Cross. Source: Wikipedia (Alessandro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons).

Image 5: San Salvatore Monastery, center of the Custody of the Holy Land – near the New Gate, Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 6: Symbol of the Custody of the Holy Land. Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 7: The Vatican flag on the roof of the Notre Dame de Jérusalem complex (French: "Our Lady of Jerusalem"). Source: Vered pichersky, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons