Byzantine Jerusalem

With the rise of Jesus and the oncoming wave of Christianity, the Temple slowly became rejected as religion became much more spiritual. In addition, many of the prophets, such as Mark and Luke, began to claim that Jesus was predicting events that later occurred, such as the Temple's destruction. These same prophets claim that Jerusalem was the place where Jesus is said to have been crucified, buried, and resurrected, highlighting its importance to Christianity.

In an attempt to drive out Judaism, the Roman Empire had turned Jerusalem into a "Roman town" and named it Aelia Capitolia. During this same stage, the Roman Empire was divided into a tetrarchy from which Constantine arose as the sole leader of the Roman Empire. Constantine was an avid follower of Christianity and released the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity. It is arguable that Constantine forever changed Christianity from a pacifist religion to one of aggression. Constantine's mother, Helena, was the first Christian pilgrim and started a religious practice that has lasted until today. In 391 BCE, Theodosius names Christianity the state religion and begins to persecute those who do not believe.

The Madaba Map is a mosaic on a church floor that is seen as very important because it is an accurate map of Jerusalem. One of the things it depicts is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which became the axis mundi of the Christian religion and the new location of many of the Old Testament events.