temple to Venus (Aphrodite) was built on top of the area that Christians traditionally had associated with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The Christians who formed the church that remained in the city in the second and third centuries appear to have been Gentile Christians who had moved there. Jerusalem’s bishop3, the highest order of ministry, did not hold a prominent position but was under the authority of another bishop with regional authority. The fourth century marked an astonishing advancement
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