Women who built Jerusalem: Saint Helena

Allow me to share the story of Empress Helena, also known as Saint Helena. As the second figure in the "Women Who Built Jerusalem" series, she was a Roman woman of Greek descent, born circa 246 CE and passing around 330 CE. Her life is a remarkable tale of transformation from a slave girl to an empress and ultimately to sainthood. Although much of her story unfolds far from this region, Helena arrived in the Holy Land in her later years. She initiated the construction of two significant buildings whose historical impact was so profound that they contributed to the designation of this land as the Holy Land. This transformation holds significance not only for Jews but also for Christians and, eventually, Muslims, who revere Jesus as a prophet.

Her full name was Flavia Iulia Helena Augusta. In Greek, she is known as Ἁγία Ἑλένη (Hagía Helénē), and in Russian, as Елена Равноапостольная (Helena, Equal to the Apostles). Helena was of humble origins, working as a stable girl, when she unexpectedly met a Roman general named Constantius Chlorus, who fell in love with her. Despite her lower social status, he took her as his concubine and remained committed to her and their son, Constantine. However, as Constantius was elevated to the rank of Caesar, he divorced Helena to marry the daughter of one of his imperial colleagues. She stayed with her son at the court of Emperor Diocletian. It is known that the young Constantine had a deep affection for her and maintained contact, although she largely disappeared from public view for fifteen years. It remains uncertain whether she was originally a Christian or converted during this period.

As he matured, Constantine joined his father's army in England. Following Diocletian's retirement and his father's death in 306 AD, Constantine was proclaimed Augustus by his father's troops and embarked on a campaign to seize power in Rome. After numerous military engagements and victories, he ultimately ascended to power in 312. In 330, he established a new capital for the Roman Empire on the banks of the Bosporus, in the city of Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople, known today as Istanbul.

Helena was invited to Rome, where Constantine appointed her as Augusta and Empress. About a year later, Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, possibly under the influence of his mother. He authorized her to go on a long and arduous journey, by sailboat and on muleback, to Syria and the land of Jesus, to discover his relics. The journey took about two years, from 326 to 328 CE, and according to the testimony of historians such as Socrates Scholasticus, she returned to Rome when she was about eighty.

Helena received an invitation to Rome, where Constantine appointed her as Augusta and Empress. Approximately a year later, Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, potentially influenced by his mother. He granted her permission to embark on an extensive and challenging journey, traveling by sailboat and mule, to Syria and the land associated with Jesus, with the objective of discovering his relics. This journey spanned approximately two years, from 326 to 328 AD. According to historians like Socrates Scholasticus, she returned to Rome around the age of eighty.

The true appearance of St. Helena remains unknown, leading many artists to envision her in their works. In Christian art, she is consistently identifiable by her attribute, the True Cross, which she is reputed to have discovered. Frequently, she is depicted in an idealized and formalized manner, often not reflecting her advanced age at the time of the cross's discovery. An example of this idealized portrayal is by Cima da Conegliano in 1495. In contrast, a more realistic depiction of Saint Helena, capturing her advanced age, is provided by Altobello Melone. (c) The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology; supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation. In Greek Orthodox iconography, Helena is commonly depicted alongside her son, Emperor Constantine, both adorned in imperial attire. This icon is situated outside a small, ancient chapel on the roof of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, named in their honor: the Chapel of Helena and Constantine.

Saint Helena's Expedition to Jerusalem in Pursuit of the Cross, by Altobello Melone. She reaches a residence featuring a depiction of the Last Supper, representing Jerusalem.

Helena traveled to the Holy Land and commenced her investigations. She identified four significant locations for Christianity in the region and, with the support of her son, the Emperor, initiated the construction of the first four churches in the Holy Land. These locations include A. the site of Christ's Nativity. B. The tomb of Jesus, known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. C. The Church of the Olive Grove (Ελαιώνα, Eleona) atop the Mount of Olives. D. Mamre Church in Hebron. While only a few ruins remain of the latter two, the first two have become central to Christian pilgrimage, serving as focal points during the Crusades and as a cause of conflict between Christians and Muslims to this day. Until recently, these sites were significant sources of tourism revenue for both Israel and Palestine, attracting millions of pilgrims from around the world.

This semi-legendary narrative recounts how Helena discovered the tomb of Jesus, from which he was resurrected. According to biblical accounts, Jesus was crucified on a Friday morning. Due to Jewish customs, his burial was expedited to avoid violating the Sabbath. He was placed temporarily in a cave within an abandoned quarry, which was located outside the city walls of that era. Guards were stationed to watch over the sealed cave, but on Sunday morning, when his disciples arrived to locate the body, they found the grave empty, as he had been resurrected.

Roman historians Glacius of Caesarea and Rufinus report that, according to the testimony of Jewish individuals whom the Empress interrogated and even subjected to torture, it was revealed that Golgotha, the skull-shaped hill where Jesus was crucified, and the cave where he was buried were located beneath the temple of Venus and Jupiter. These shrines were constructed by Emperor Hadrian following the destruction and leveling of Jewish Jerusalem after the Jewish rebellion in 132 AD.

Helena ordered the demolition of the Roman Temple, uncovering the remains of the tomb beneath it. It is also reported that she peered through an opening into a dark, water-filled quarry and discovered three crosses. Could these be the crosses of Jesus and the two thieves? She sought to verify this through a form of "scientific" testing. Helena had an elderly, ailing woman brought before her and instructed her to touch the first two crosses, which produced no effect. However, upon touching the third cross, the woman was miraculously healed. This event led Helena to confirm the authenticity of the True Cross, which became a revered relic housed in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The large cross subsequently became her symbol in Christianity. Helena also discovered the crown of thorns, the nails used in Jesus' crucifixion, and his sash. The Cross was seized by the Persians in 614, returned in 628 by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, and later taken by the Crusaders as a relic for their armies during the Battle of Hattin in 1186, where it was captured by Saladin and subsequently destroyed.

The return of the True Cross to Jerusalem in 628 CE by Heraclius, accompanied by a symbolic representation of Helena riding alongside him.

Fragments of the original cross are present in numerous churches worldwide, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (refer to the photo in this album). Even early church authorities criticized this practice. In 348, Cyril of Jerusalem noted that the "whole earth is full of the relics of the Cross of Christ, by means of those who in faith take portions from it."

The current Church of the Holy Sepulcher is not the original structure that Helena constructed; it has undergone several cycles of destruction and reconstruction over the centuries. Helena returned to Rome after her extensive travels and passed away two years later in 330 AD. She is eternally commemorated in Jerusalem for establishing one of Christianity's most sacred sites.

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This significant site is one of the four churches commissioned by Helena in the Holy Land. It is here that Helena discovered the manger where Jesus was born. The current church includes numerous additional structures that have been built over the 1700 years since its original construction by Helena.

The Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, as it appears today with its two gray domes, has endured significant damage from numerous earthquakes and has been destroyed multiple times by human actions and fire.

This representation illustrates the probable appearance of the original Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. Its façade extended to the cardo, the principal north-to-south thoroughfare. Currently, this path aligns with our modern Souq al-Zeyt, the primary market in the Old City. The original basilica was significantly larger than the current structure, which was constructed during the Crusader period, eight centuries after Helena's era.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was constructed by Constantine and Helena from the West. To the right is the nearby Roman Forum, which includes Hadrian's Triumphal Arch. Remnants of this arch can still be observed today in the Russian Alexander Nevsky Church. Beyond the church lie two main roads: the principal cardo and another in the Tyropoeon Valley, known as "the valley of the cheese makers." Further east are the ruins of the Jewish Temple and the Mount of Olives. The Christians dismantled the pagan temples that Hadrian had erected over the destroyed Jewish temple, leaving the area desolate and abandoned. This situation persisted until the arrival of the Muslims, who restored the Temple Mount from its ruins.

The model of Byzantine Jerusalem, located at the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu near Mount Zion, depicts the city as it appeared in the sixth century AD. Despite the passage of time, the Holy Sepulcher, originally constructed by Helena and Constantine, remains a central feature of the model, positioned adjacent to the Cardo, the primary north-south thoroughfare. This thoroughfare originates from the Damascus Gate (referred to as Pillar Gate in Arabic to this day) and maintains a basic layout similar to the present. The Cardo divides into two paths: one descends along Al-Wad Street, while the other continues on higher ground as the Cardo (currently known as Souq al-Zeit). Further along is the Nea Church, erected by Justinian in the 6th century, with its ruins located south of the Jewish Quarter.

One remarkable story from Jerusalem involves the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, originally constructed by Helena and Constantine. Unfortunately, very little of the original structure remains, as it was destroyed by the Persians in 614 and later by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 1009. The church's entrance was located next to the Cardo, the primary north-south route, which is now the Souq al Zeit Market. Remarkably, one relic has survived from that church: the lintel of the church narthex. This artifact still exists today, housed in the back room of the Zalatimo bakery, which closed a few years ago. Previously, the former baker allowed visitors to view it for a fee of 10 NIS. During my last visit, when I took these photographs, I found myself alongside a BBC crew filming a documentary. Here is the lintel, accompanied by some additional columns from the Crusader period (1150).

Finding of the True Cross

The tradition surrounding the discovery of the True Cross is what attributes Helena with the cross of Jesus and is central to several devotions, particularly within Catholicism. This narrative has been depicted by numerous artists, with one of the most renowned being the "Leggenda della Vera Croce," a series of frescoes that adorn the entire apse walls of the Church of Saint Francis in Arezzo, Tuscany. The Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca intricately illustrates the Legend of the Cross, beginning with the death of Adam and continuing through the Visit of the Queen of Sheba, the Crucifixion, Constantine's victory at the Milvian Bridge, Helena's discovery of the cross, its capture by the Persians, and the subsequent retrieval by Emperor Heraclius and return to Jerusalem in 628 CE. The central panel prominently features the discovery of the crosses and the healing of the elderly woman.

The second famous presentation of the Legend of the True Cross is in the church of Santa Croce in Florence, dating back to 1380. It also recounts the full story, from Adam to Heraclius. In this panel, St. Helena finds the True Cross and cures the old lady.

First photo: This image captures the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. It offers a view from the rock of Golgotha (Calvary) towards the entrance of the Rotunda, where the tomb is located. Directly below is the Stone of Unction, where Jesus received Jewish burial rites. In the original church built by Helena, an open cloister was situated here. Second photo: This depicts the Chapel of the Finding of the Cross, located in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher beneath the Armenian Chapel of St. Helena. A bronze statue of Helena, donated in 1865 by Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, is situated inside the old quarry. Third photo: This shows the exact location where the cross was found, according to tradition.

A relic of the True Cross is part of the treasure at the Holy Sepulcher. Traditionally, this small cross is considered the sacred relic, with figures of Helena and her son Constantine positioned on either side of it.