From Remote Fringes to Homeowners: The Incredible Journey of Christianity and How It Shapes Jerusalem to This Day

Nir Topper
3 hours ago
7 min read

The transition of Christianity from a small Jewish Messianic sect in a remote corner of the Roman Empire to an imperial state religion is one of the most dramatic, intriguing, and seemingly improbable processes in history. In 311 AD, Emperor Galerius issued an Edict of Toleration, granting Christians the right to practice their religion for the first time. By 313 AD, Christianity evolved from a "tolerated religion" into one with full legal protection.

Emperor Constantine, who ruled the Western Empire, and Emperor Licinius, who held the title of "Eastern Augustus" and ruled the Balkans, met in Milan. The meeting was held to celebrate the marriage of Licinius to Constantine’s half-sister and served as the platform for formulating a joint religious policy. To ensure the policy of religious freedom for Christians was enforced throughout the Empire—including the eastern provinces where Emperor Maximinus Daia continued his persecutions—the edict had to be issued in the name and with the consent of both emperors. By 380 AD, Christianity was officially declared the state religion of the Roman Empire. This shift was not merely spiritual; it institutionalized a hierarchy and political power that shaped the face of Europe and the Middle East for centuries.

In the West, the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century and the subsequent Germanic invasions led to a gradual erosion of civil administration. The institution of the Papacy stepped into this vacuum. As early as the 5th century, Pope Leo I negotiated with Attila the Hun and the Vandals. By the end of the 6th century, Pope Gregory I was forced to take on clear civil responsibilities—from negotiating with the Lombards to paying Roman garrison troops and feeding the population. This transformed the Papacy into an independent political force that did not rely solely on the theological claim of succeeding Peter the Apostle. Rome became a bastion of hierarchical stability, represented by Peter "The Rock"—the name given to him by Yeshua as the one upon whom the Church would be built.

In contrast, a completely different dynamic developed in the East around the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the "New Rome." Due to the strength of the Byzantine Empire, the Church existed under the shadow of the Emperor's authority. The Emperor frequently intervened in Church affairs, including the appointment of its leaders—though strong Patriarchs could occasionally resist him, and on matters of faith and doctrine, emperors often failed to impose their will when it contradicted Church positions. The Patriarch was perceived as Primus inter pares ("First among equals")—a moral and spiritual authority heading a system of independent (autocephalous) churches. They operated under a synodal system where every bishop had an equal vote, including the Patriarch, without the centralized legal authority that developed in Rome under the Pope.

The tension between these two approaches culminated in the "Great Schism" of 1054, though in practice, this was the peak of a long process of alienation spanning centuries. Disputes over papal authority, sharp theological arguments—most notably the Filioque controversy regarding the nature of the Holy Spirit—and liturgical differences led to mutual excommunications between the Pope's legates and Patriarch Michael Keroularios in Constantinople. In fact, the terms "Catholic" and "Orthodox" were in use even before the schism—the unified Church called itself "Catholic" and its faith "Orthodox"—but after the split, they gradually became fixed as separate and distinct identities.

The term "Catholic" originates from the Greek Katholikos, meaning "universal" or "all-encompassing," expressing the Western Church's aspiration to be the unifying 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 reflects the Eastern Church's view of itself as the guardian of the original, pure tradition of ancient Christianity without change. The rift between the two churches became seemingly irreparable after the Fourth Crusade in 1204, when Crusader armies sacked Constantinople itself. Later attempts at reunification—in Lyon (1274) and Florence (1439)—also failed, and the event is still perceived today as a painful historical betrayal.

In the 16th century, the Christian world experienced another shock with the Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther. Beyond a protest against ecclesiastical corruption and the sale of indulgences, the Reformation was a political revolution that allowed princes and kings to break free from Rome's economic and political influence. For example, Saxony and other German principalities adopted Lutheran Protestantism during the 1520s; in England, King Henry VIII led the 1534 "Act of Supremacy," severing the English Church from Rome and declaring himself its head; and in Scandinavia, Sweden (from 1527) and Denmark (1536) introduced a Reformation that gradually turned Lutheranism into the state religion, nationalizing Church assets and strengthening the monarchy. The principle that the ruler's religion is the state's religion, officially anchored in the Peace of Augsburg (1555), led to a geographical and religious division that shaped modern national sovereignty in Europe.

Although for nearly nine hundred years after the split of 1054 it seemed the rift between Catholics and Orthodox was eternal, 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 the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I. This meeting, the first between the heads of the two churches since the Council of Florence in 1438, symbolized the breaking down of walls. In December 1965, it led to the mutual lifting of the ancient excommunications from 1054. Powerful visual evidence of this meeting can be found in the courtyard of the Church of the Annunciation (the Basilica 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 branches of Christianity.

Even today, these ancient institutions—the various independent Orthodox churches and the Papacy in the Vatican—continue to influence the geopolitical map. In the Land of Israel, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem stands out, also known as the "Rum Orthodox" (in Greek: Πατριαρχεῖον Ἱεροσολύμων – Patriarchate of Hierosolymon). The name "Rum" originates from the word "Romans," as the Byzantines saw themselves as the successors of the Roman Empire. The term "Greek" stems from the Byzantine heritage and the fact that its senior ranks, members of the "Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre," are Greek in origin. It is considered the most significant Orthodox body in the land due to its claim 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 their activity in the land as early as the 13th century, and in 1342, they received an 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 building stands. The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land also holds many holy sites and properties across the country. This control over land grants these bodies considerable political and diplomatic influence, as any urban development or political arrangement in sensitive areas requires consideration of the interests and legal status of these churches.

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When touring Jerusalem, one can see the physical and architectural presence of these two bodies 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 of the Greek letters Tau and Phi (ΤΦ). According to common interpretation, it is an abbreviation of the Greek word τάφος (Taphos), meaning "tomb"; according to official Patriarchate sources, the letters represent the words Φύλακες Τάφου (Phylakes Taphou) – "Guardians of the Tomb." This symbol can be found on most Greek Orthodox buildings in Jerusalem.

Conversely, the center of the Custody of the Holy Land is located in St. Saviour’s Monastery, near the New Gate in the northern part of the Christian Quarter. The Custody's symbol is the "Jerusalem Cross" with five crosses, which was also the symbol of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, or 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, emphasizing the city's special international and religious status.

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 – Symbol of the Greek Patriarchate – the "Taphos" – a monogram of the Greek letters Tau and Phi (ΤΦ). Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 2 – Symbol of the Greek Patriarchate. Above the door of the Greek Patriarchate center, Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 3 – Symbol of the "Custody of the Holy Land" (Custodia Terrae Sanctae) – The Jerusalem Cross. Source: Wikipedia. Alessandro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Image 4 – St. Saviour’s Monastery, center of the Custody of the Holy Land – near the New Gate, Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 5 – Symbol of the Custody of the Holy Land. Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Nir Topper.

Image 6 – 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