History
The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine
Book III. Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea
Chapter XXV. How He Ordered the Erection
of a Church at Jerusalem, in the Holy Place of Our Saviour's
Resurrection.
After these things, the pious emperor
addressed himself to another work truly worthy of record, in
the province of Palestine. What then was this work? 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.
Chapter XXVI. That the Holy Sepulchre Had
Been Covered with Rubbish and with Idols by the Ungodly.
For it had been in time past the endeavor
of impious men (or rather let me say of the whole race of evil
spirits through their means), to consign to the darkness of
oblivion that divine monument of immortality to which the
radiant angel had descended from heaven, and rolled away the
stone for those who still had stony hearts, and who supposed
that the living One still lay among the dead; and had declared
glad tidings to the women also, and removed their stony-hearted
unbelief by the conviction that he whom they sought was alive.
This sacred cave, then, certain impious and godless persons had
thought to remove entirely from the eyes of men, supposing in
their folly that thus they should be able effectually to
obscure the truth. Accordingly they brought a quantity of earth
from a distance with much labor, and covered the entire spot;
then, having raised this to a moderate height, they paved it
with stone, concealing the holy cave beneath this massive
mound. Then, as though their purpose had been effectually
accomplished, they prepare on this foundation a truly dreadful
sepulchre of souls, by building a gloomy shrine of lifeless
idols to the impure spirit whom they call Venus, and offering
detestable oblations therein on profane and accursed altars.
For they supposed that their object could not otherwise be
fully attained, than by thus burying the sacred cave beneath
these foul pollutions. Unhappy men! they were unable to
comprehend how impossible it was that their attempt should
remain unknown to him who had been crowned with victory over
death, any more than the blazing sun, when he rises above the
earth, and holds his wonted course through the midst of heaven,
is unseen by the whole race of mankind. Indeed, his saving
power, shining with still greater brightness, and illumining,
not the bodies, but the souls of men, was already filling the
world with the effulgence of its own light. Nevertheless, these
devices of impious and wicked men against the truth had
prevailed for a long time, nor had any one of the governors, or
military commanders, or even of the emperors themselves ever
yet appeared, with ability to abolish these daring impieties,
save only that one who enjoyed the favor of the King of kings.
And now, acting as he did under the guidance of the divine
Spirit, he could not consent to see the sacred spot of which we
have spoken, thus buried, through the devices of the
adversaries, under every kind of impurity, and abandoned to
forgetfulness and neglect; nor would he yield to the malice of
those who had contracted this guilt, 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.
Chapter XXVII. How Constantine Commanded
the Materials of the Idol Temple, and the Soil Itself, to Be
Removed at a Distance.
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.
Chapter XXVIII. Discovery of the Most
Holy Sepulchre.
Chapter XXIX. How He Wrote Concerning the
Erection of a Church, Both to the Governors of the Provinces,
and to the Bishop Macarius.
Immediately after the transactions I have
recorded, the emperor sent forth injunctions which breathed a
truly pious spirit, at the same time granting ample supplies of
money, and commanding that a house of prayer worthy of the
worship of God should be erected near the Saviour's tomb on a
scale of rich and royal greatness. This object he had indeed
for some time kept in view, and had foreseen, as if by the aid
of a superior intelligence, that which should afterwards come
to pass. He laid his commands, therefore, on the governors of
the Eastern provinces, that by an abundant and unsparing
expenditure they should secure the completion of the work on a
scale of noble and ample magnificence. He also despatched the
following letter to the bishop who at that time presided over
the church at Jerusalem, in which he clearly asserted the
saving doctrine of the faith, writing in these terms.
Chapter XXX. Constantine's Letter to
Macarius Respecting the Building of the Church of Our Saviour.
"Victor Constantius, Maximus
Augustus, to Macarius.
1 "Such is our Saviour's grace, that
no power of language seems adequate to describe the wondrous
circumstance to which I am about to refer. For, that the
monument of his most holy Passion, so long ago buried beneath
the ground, should have remained unknown for so long a series
of years, until its reappearance to his servants now set free
through the removal of him who was the common enemy of all, is
a fact which truly surpasses all admiration. For if all who are
accounted wise throughout the world were to unite in their
endeavors to say somewhat worthy of this event, they would be
unable to attain their object in the smallest degree. Indeed,
the nature of this miracle as far transcends the capacity of
human reason as heavenly things are superior to human affairs.
For this cause it is ever my first, and indeed my only object,
that, as the authority of the truth is evincing itself daily by
fresh wonders, so our souls may all become more zealous, with
all sobriety and earnest unanimity, for the honor of the Divine
law. I desire, therefore, especially, that you should be
persuaded of that which I suppose is evident to all beside,
namely, that I have no greater care than how I may best adorn
with a splendid structure that sacred spot, which, under Divine
direction, I have disencumbered as it were of the heavy weight
of foul idol worship; a spot which has been accounted holy from
the beginning in God's judgment, but which now appears holier
still, since it has brought to light a clear assurance of our
Saviour's passion.
Chapter XXXI. That the Building Should
Surpass All the Churches in the World in the Beauty of Its
Walls, Its Columns, and Marbles.
1 "It will be well, therefore, for
your sagacity to make such arrangements and provision of all
things needful for the work, that not only the church itself as
a whole may surpass all others whatsoever in beauty, but that
the details of the building may be of such a kind that the
fairest structures in any city of the empire may be excelled by
this. And with respect to the erection and decoration of the
walls, this is to inform you that our friend Dracilianus, the
deputy of the Praetorian Praefects, and the governor of the
province, have received a charge from us. For our pious
directions to them are to the effect that artificers and
laborers, and whatever they shall understand from your sagacity
to be needful for the advancement of the work, shall forthwith
be furnished by their care. And as to the columns and marbles,
whatever you shall judge, after actual inspection of the plan,
to be especially precious and serviceable, be diligent to send
information to us in writing, in order that whatever quantity
or sort of materials we shall esteem from your letter to be
needful, may be procured from every quarter, as required, for
it is fitting that the most marvelous place in the world should
be worthily decorated.
Chapter XXXII. That He Instructed the
Governors Concerning the Beautifying of the Roof; Also
Concerning Workmen, and Materials.
"With respect to the ceiling of the
church, I wish to know from you whether in your judgment it
should be panel-ceiled, or finished with any other kind of
workmanship. If the panel ceiling be adopted, it may also be
ornamented with gold. For the rest, your Holiness will give
information as early as possible to the before-mentioned
magistrates how many laborers and artificers, and what
expenditure of money is required. You will also be careful to
send us a report without delay, not only respecting the marbles
and columns, but the paneled ceiling also, should this appear
to you to be the most beautiful form. God preserve you, beloved
brother!"
Chapter XXXIII. How the Church of Our
Saviour, the New Jerusalem Prophesied of in Scripture, Was
Built.
This was the emperor's letter; and his
directions were at once carried into effect. Accordingly, on
the very spot which witnessed the Saviour's sufferings, a new
Jerusalem was constructed, over against the one so celebrated
of old, which, since the foul stain of guilt brought on it by
the murder of the Lord, had experienced the last extremity of
desolation, the effect of Divine judgment on its impious
people. It was opposite this city that the emperor now began to
rear a monument to the Saviour's victory over death, with rich
and lavish magnificence. And it may be that this was that
second and new Jerusalem spoken of in the predictions of the
prophets, concerning which such abundant testimony is given in
the divinely inspired records.
First of all, then, he adorned the sacred
cave itself, as the chief part of the whole work, and the
hallowed monument at which the angel radiant with light had
once declared to all that regeneration which was first
manifested in the Saviour's person.
Chapter XXXIV. Description of the
Structure of the Holy Sepulchre.
This monument, therefore, first of all,
as the chief part of the whole, the emperor's zealous
magnificence beautified with rare columns, anti profusely
enriched with the most splendid decorations of every kind.
Chapter XXXV. Description of the Atrium
and Porticos.
The next object of his attention was a
space of ground of great extent, and open to the pure air of
heaven. This he adorned with a pavement of finely polished
stone, and enclosed it on three sides with porticos of great
length.
Chapter XXXVI. Description of the Walls,
Roof, Decoration, and Gilding of the Body of the Church.
For at the side opposite to the cave,
which was the eastern side, the church itself was erected; a
noble work rising to a vast height, and of great extent both in
length and breadth. The interior of this structure was floored
with marble slabs of various colors; while the external surface
of the walls, which shone with polished stones exactly fitted
together, exhibited a degree of splendor in no respect inferior
to that of marble. With regard to the roof, it was covered on
the outside with lead, as a protection against the rains of
winter. But the inner part of the roof, which was finished with
sculptured panel work, extended in a series of connected
compartments, like a vast sea, over the whole church; and,
being overlaid throughout with the purest gold, caused the
entire building to glitter as it were with rays of light.
Chapter XXXVII. Description of the Double
Porticos on Either Side, and of the Three Eastern Gates.
Besides this were two porticos on each
side, with upper and lower ranges of pillars, corresponding in
length with the church itself; and these also had their roofs
ornamented with gold. Of these porticos, those which were
exterior to the church were supported by columns of great size,
while those within these rested on piles of stone beautifully
adorned on the surface. Three gates, placed exactly east, were
intended to receive the multitudes who entered the church.
Chapter XXXVIII. Description of the
Hemisphere, the Twelve Columns, and Their Bowls.
Opposite these gates the crowning part of
the whole was the hemisphere, which rose to the very summit of
the church. This was encircled by twelve columns (according to
the number of the apostles of our Saviour), having their
capitals embellished with silver bowls of great size, which the
emperor himself presented as a splendid offering to his God.
Chapter XXXIX. Description of the Inner
Court, the Arcades and Porches.
In the next place he enclosed the atrium
which occupied the space leading to the entrances in front of
the church. This comprehended, first the court, then the
porticos on each side, and lastly the gates of the court. After
these, in the midst of the open market-place, the general
entrance-gates, which were of exquisite workmanship, afforded
to passers-by on the outside a view of the interior which could
not fail to inspire astonishment.
Chapter XL. Of the Number of His
Offerings.
This temple, then, the emperor erected as
a conspicuous monument of the Saviour's resurrection, and
embellished it throughout on an imperial scale of magnificence.
He further enriched it with numberless offerings of
inexpressible beauty and various materials,-gold, silver, and
precious stones, the skillful and elaborate arrangement of
which, in regard to their magnitude, number, and variety, we
have not leisure at present to describe particularly.
