(e) Sites associated with the proto-martyrt. — (1) St. Stephen. — The association of St. Stephen with the Coenaculum dates from the 8th cent., and with the modern Bdb Sitti Maryam (St. Stephen's Gate) from the 15th century. These traditions may be ignored, and attention fixed on the site N. of the city, where Eudocia's Church was built as early as the 5th century. Its site was recovered in 188L It must be recalled that when St. Stephen perished (between a.d. 33 and 37) the Third Wall was not in existence, and the total irregularity of the pro- ceedings at his stoning leads us to think that he was killed at the readiest point outside the city. If on the N. side, as the tradition bound up with Eudocia's Church seems to imply, it would probably be outside the gate of the Second Wall.
(2) James the Great, the brother of John, is supposed to have been beheaded in a prison now niarked_ by the W. aisle of the Church of St. James in the Armenian Quarter — a tradition of no value. It is worthy of note, however, that, as in the case of St. Peter, the spot is not remote from the Palace of Herod.
(3) James the Just, ' the brother of Jesns, who was called the Christ' (Ant. XX. ix. 1), according to Hegesippus (preserved in Eusebius, HE ll. xxiii. 4ff.) also suffered a violent death (c. A.D. 62) after a mode which is very improbable (see HDB, art. ' James,' § 3), the stoning excepted, to which Josephus testifies. The Grotto of St. James near the S.E. corner of the Temple area, on the E. side of Kidron, is supposed to be his tomb (15th cent, tradition), or preferably his hiding-place (6th cent, tradition). While the"^ tomb is as old as the days of the Apostle, or even older, the inscription above its entrance bears reference to the B'^ne Hezir (S. R. Driver, Notes on Heb. Text of Books of Samuel^ 1913, p. xxi).
if) The tree (with the bridge) where Judas hanged himself, and A/celdama, the field of blood (Ac P*), are shown, but there are rival sites for the latter, and the former has often changed (Conder, The City of Jerusalem, p. 18 f.).
(g) Sites associated loith the Virgin. — Besides the tradition of the Dormitio Sanctce Marice, the scene of the Virmn's death, in proximity to the Ccenaculum, the Tomb of the Virgin is marked by a church, originating in the 5th cent., in the valley
of the Kidron, outside St. Stephen's Gate (Sanday, Sacred Sites, p. 85).
(A) The scene of the Ascension. — Discarding Lk 24^", Christian tradition early laid hold upon the summit of the Mount of Olives (cf. Ac V^) as the scene of the Ascension. The motive for this will be understood from what has been written by Eusebius [Demons. Evang. vi. 18 [Migne, Pair. Grasca, xxii. col. 457 f.]; cf. Wilson, Golgotha, p. 172) :
' All believers in Christ flock together from all quarters of the earth, not as of old to behold the beauty of Jerusalem, or that they may worship in the former Temple which stood in Jerusalem, but that the}' may abide there, and both hear the story of Jerusalem, and also worship in the Mount of Olives over against Jerusalem, whither the glory of the Lord removed itself, leaving the earlier city. There, also, according to the published record, the feet of our Lord and Saviour, who was Himself the Word, and, through it, took upon Himself human form, stood upon the Mount of Olives near the cave which is now pointed out there.'
Constantino erected a basilica on the summit, where the Chapel of the Ascension now stands. His mother, the Empress Helena, built a church at the same point, and another, called the Eleona, to mark the cave where Christ taught His disciples (Watson, Jerusalem, p. 124). The latter has re- cently been discovered and excavated (BB, 1911, pp. 219-265).
3. History. — i. Jerusalem under Roman Pro- curators ; Agrippa i. and Agrippa il (a.d. 30- 70). — The writings of Josephus afford evidence that it is possible to narrate the history of events in Jerusalem during the Apostolic Age without re- ference to the Christians. From our point of view we must sit loose to the fortunes of the Jews as such, in whom Josephus was interested ; but for a due appreciation of the history of the Christian Church in Jerusalem a sketch of contemporary events must first be given, special note being made of points of contact with the narrative of Acts.
Pontius Pilate continued in office for some years after the Death of Clirist. At the beginning of his term (A.D. 26) he had shown marked disregard for the feelings of the Jews by introducing ensigns bearing images of Caesar into Jerusalem. Later, he gave further offence by appropriating the Corban in order to carry out his scheme for the improve- ment of the water-supply of the city and of the Temple. Even though the work proceeded, Pilate's cruelty in this instance was not forgotten and helped to swell the account against him, which resulted in his recall for trial (A.D. 36). Vitellius, governor of Syria, paid a visit to Jerusalem at the Passover of the same year, and adopted a more conciliatory policy, remitting the market-toll and restoring the high-priestly vestments to the custody of the Jews. The procurators of Caligula's reign (A.D. 37-41) may be left out of account.