The Cult of Stephen in Jerusalem: Inventing a Patron Martyr

Jerusalem had few instances of anti-Christian persecution between 135 and 313 CE, leading to embarrassment. To compensate, the church promoted devotion to Stephen, the Protomartyr, as a patron saint for Jerusalem, symbolizing the city's Christian identity and power. This book explores the cult's rise, including the fabrication of his relics, the construction of a basilica, and the multiplication of his feast days.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 03 November 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Between 135 and 313 CE, Jerusalem served as the home of a modest and obscure Christian community, which resulted in a limited number of instances of anti-Christian persecution. This fact caused the city to feel ashamed in late antiquity, a time when martyr traditions, relics, and shrines were intricately linked with local prestige. During this period, the city had every reason to enhance the reputation of its limited number of apostolic martyrs, particularly the fame of the biblical St. Stephen, who is traditionally regarded as the first Christian martyr (Acts 6-8). While the church lacked a substantial number of martyrs, it believed that it could make up for this deficiency by claiming exclusivity in its devotion to the figure widely recognized as the Protomartyr, the firstborn of the martyrs, and the chief of confessors in contemporary sources. This book explores the emergence of the cult of Stephen in Jerusalem, examining historical events such as the fabrication of his relics, the construction of a grand basilica in his honor, and the proliferation of his feast days. It argues that local church authorities actively promoted devotion to Stephen in the fifth century to position him as a patron saint for Jerusalem, serving as a symbolic representation of the city's Christian identity and power.

Weight: 446g
Dimension: 164 x 241 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192846990