HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

The Western Wall
Tisha B’Av is a day of mourning and
despair, but within the sadness of the
day there is also a message of hope.
That message being that despite much
suffering, the Jews will survive and be
redeemed as promised by the prophets
of old. That message of Tisha B’Av is
conveyed in the history of the Western
Wall.
The Byzantine emperor Constantine
adopted Christianity in the early part
of the fourth century. Upon the defeat
of the emperor of the east, Licinius, at
Chrysopolis on September 18, 324 C.E.,
Constantine became ruler of the Holy
Land.
Constantine built churches throughout
the land and strongly encouraged
the proselytism of Jews. It is theorized
that Constantine enacted anti-Jewish
laws.(See The Jews Under Roman and
Byzantine Rule: A Political History of
Palestine from the Bar Kochba Revolt
to the Arab Conquest , page 165.) He
also reinstated legislation of the Roman
emperor Hadrian 117-138 C.E.
The Byzantine emperor Constantine
adopted Christianity in the early part
of the fourth century. Upon the defeat
of the emperor of the east, Licinius, at
Chrysopolis on September 18, 324 C.E.,
Constantine became ruler of the Holy
Land.
Constantine built churches throughout
the land and strongly encouraged
the proselytism of Jews. It is theorized
that Constantine enacted anti-Jewish
laws.(See The Jews Under Roman and
Byzantine Rule: A Political History of
Palestine from the Bar Kochba Revolt
to the Arab Conquest , page 165.) He
also reinstated legislation of the Roman
emperor Hadrian 117-138 C.E.
Following his suppression of the Bar
Kochba Revolt (132-135 C.E.), Hadrian
enacted laws that prohibited the entry
of Jews into Jerusalem or the surrounding
region of Judea. Over time
those laws remained on the books but
were not enforced by all emperors;
many allowed Jewish pilgrimages on
the holidays. Constantine reinstated
those laws, but with some changes.
Jews were again permitted to reside in
Judea. In addition, he also allowed the
Jews to enter Jerusalem and pray at
the Western Wall on one day annually
— Tisha B’Av.
Being the last standing wall surrounding
the Temple, the Western Wall already
possessed a special significance
to the Jews. Perhaps the emperor permitted
the Jews access to the Western
Wall on Tisha B’Av so they could revel
in their sufferings and misery; maybe
he had the notion that such thoughts
would lead them to apostasy. But the
sight of the remnant of the Temple
gave the Jews hope and a sense of
resolve rather than weakening them.
They saw it as a sign of strength and
took solace upon their annual opportunity
to visit the site of their beloved
Temple.
The Talmudic sages of that era spoke
of the special and eternal nature of
the Wall. Rabbi Acha stated that the
Shekhinah, special Divine Presence
of God, will never depart from the
Temple’s Western Wall. The Midrash
cites a quote from Solomon’s Song of
Songs, “Behold, He stands behind our
wall” (Midrash Tanhuma Exodus, 10;
Song of Songs; Exodus Raba 2:2).
The Temple was destroyed,
but a part remained. The
Western Wall served as a
reminder that the Temple
could never be totally destroyed.
The hope for its rebuilding remained
strong in that era and over the centuries.
The seemingly minor changes in
the laws by Constantine allowed the
Jews some solace and inspiration on
their day of mourning.