Early Christianity

he chose to emphasize became, moreover, fundamental areas of

study for those who investigated early Christianity in later ages,

right down to our own time.

Eusebius’ lifetime coincided with the development of

another interest in Christian antiquity. No sooner than the

Roman province of Palestine, along with the rest of the eastern

empire, came under Constantine’s jurisdiction in 324, an intense

fascination with the material heritage of early Christianity began

to develop. The whole process received the blessing and active

encouragement of Constantine himself. Under his guidance,

Roman Palestine began its transformation into Christendom’s

Holy Land: a goal for pilgrim journeys and a source of sacred

relics (E. D. Hunt 1982). This led to the first excavations of early

Christianity’s physical remains. Indeed, perhaps the first con-

tender for the title of ‘early Christian archaeologist’ is no less

a personage than the emperor’s mother, the dowager empress

Helena (E. D. Hunt 1982: 28–49; Frend 1996: 1–6). Her methods,

however, would surely make all modern archaeologists faint.

In 325, the same year in which he tried to achieve Christian

theological unity at the council of Nicaea (see chapter 5), Con-

stantine embarked on an ambitious building programme in

Palestine (Walker 1990). He ordered the construction of churches

at the sites of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, and of his death, resur-

rection, and ascension into heaven at Jerusalem and the Mount

of Olives. A year later, his mother embarked on her journey to

Palestine, and it may have been under her supervision that many

of the discoveries of the holy places were made. Eusebius’

account of the discovery of Christ’s tomb is instructive of the sort

of methods used:

It appeared suddenly and contrary to all expectation: the

revered and hallowed monument (martyrion) of the Saviour’s

resurrection. This most holy cave presented a faithful repre-

sentation of the Saviour’s return to life, in that, after lying

buried in darkness, it again emerged into the light and

afforded all who came to witness the sight a clear and visible

THE HISTORICAL QUEST FOR EARLY CHRISTIANITY

40