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In 325, during the first ecumenical council of Nicea, the bishop of
Jerusalem, Macarius, invited Emperor Constantine to destroy the pagan temples
built atop the Christian holy sites in the Holy City. The Emperor, now Pontifex
Maximus of the whole Roman Empire and strong in his position decreed the
demolition of the pagan temples built atop the Christian Holy Site. This is how
Eusebius describe s the event:
"He judged it incumbent on him to render the blessed locality of our Saviour's
resurrection an object of attraction and veneration to all. He issued immediate
injunctions, therefore, for the erection in that spot of a house of prayer: and
this he did, not on the mere natural impulse of his own mind, but being moved
in spirit by the Saviour himself.....but calling on the divine aid, gave orders
that the place should be thoroughly purified, thinking that the parts which had
been most polluted by the enemy ought to receive special tokens, through his
means, of the greatness of the divine favor. As soon, then, as his commands
were issued, these engines of deceit were cast down from their proud eminence
to the very ground, and the dwelling-places of error, with the statues and the
evil spirits which they represented, were overthrown and utterly
destroyed.....Nor did the emperor's zeal stop here; but he gave further orders
that the materials of what was thus destroyed, both stone and timber, should be
removed and thrown as far from the spot as possible; and this command also was
speedily executed. The emperor, however, was not satisfied with having
proceeded thus far: once more, fired with holy ardor, he directed that the
ground itself should be dug up to a considerable depth, and the soil which had
been polluted by the foul impurities of demon worship transported to a far
distant place".(III, XXV-XXVII)
Besides clearing the area from the pagan temples the work involved also an
excavation of the land fill which Hadrian had placed in the Garden of Golgotha
to level the area. Once again we let Eusebius describe the event:
"...as soon as the original surface of the ground, beneath the covering of
earth, appeared, immediately and contrary to all expectation, the venerable
and hallowed monument of our Saviour's resurrection was discovered. Then indeed
did this most holy cave present a faithful similitude of his return to life, in
that, after lying buried in darkness, it again emerged to light, and afforded
to all who came to witness the sight, a clear and visible proof of the wonders
of which that spot had once been the scene, a testimony to the resurrection of
the Saviour clearer than any voice could give".
(III,XXVIII)
