The Byzantine Empress Who Opened Jerusalem's Gates to the Jews

Athenais was a Greek philosopher born around 410 CE. Her father, Leontius, was a teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. Upon learning about a new Jewish sect called "Christianity," she decided it was more grounded than her ancestral pagan beliefs and converted. Her Christian name became Eudocia.

Eudocia married Theodosius II, the Byzantine Emperor. Her husband was rather lazy, so she managed many state affairs, which sparked envy among key figures. Consequently, she was assigned to a post in Jerusalem, far from Byzantine court intrigues in Istanbul.

Eudocia was very active; she constructed a wall around the city of Jerusalem, the first since its destruction. This wall stood for several hundred years until it was destroyed in battles and was only rebuilt much later by Sultan Suleiman.

For fifteen years, Empress Eudocia governed Jerusalem. She did not always cooperate with her husband, and when he sent an official named Saturninus to eliminate two individuals in Jerusalem, Eudocia ordered Saturninus to be executed. Additionally, despite the Byzantine Christian establishment's hatred for Jews, Eudocia respected them. A Jewish delegation asked her to lift the ban on entering the gates of Jerusalem, a restriction imposed by the Romans, and she agreed.

The Jewish community leaders, who had endured hardships and persecutions under Christianity, believed the time for redemption had arrived. They circulated a letter to the Jewish diaspora which stated: "To the great and mighty Jewish people, from the priests and leaders in Galilee: Many greetings; be advised that the time of our exile is over, and the day of our reunion has come. The Roman rulers have decreed that our city, Jerusalem, be returned to us. Hurry and come to Jerusalem for the festival of Sukkot, for our kingdom in Jerusalem shall rise."

From our perspective, the excitement was excessive—permission to enter Jerusalem did not truly equate to a complete redemption. However, to the elders in Galilee, it seemed an imminent salvation, sparking enthusiasm throughout nearby exiles.

Such excitement posed a danger: anytime Jews believed that redemption was near and rebelled against authorities, they faced harsh repercussions.

A Babylonian monk named Bar Tzoma, who lived during this time, describes it in his book: "On the festival of Sukkot, one hundred and three thousand Jews ascended to the ruins of Jerusalem, but a hail of stones fell upon them from the sky, and with that, their hope for redemption faded."

Historians are unsure if Bar Tzoma's account is truthful or a Christian fabrication. What is clear is that the Jews' hopes were dashed, yet surprisingly, the Emperor did not retaliate against them for their aspirations to free Israel from oppression.