Fifth Reading Response

I found this section of reading rather unenjoyable. It was difficult to follow and understand the development of the different religious groups and the nuances of their specific beliefs. There were some facts that surprised me, as they differed substantially from the historical narrative that I had in mind. I was well aware that the Byzantine empire began to accept Christianity and that this greatly assisted the spread of the religion. However, I was surprised to read about the rule of Emperor Julian and his strong opposition to the Christian faith and that he went so far as to allow the Jews to at least attempt the reconstruction of the Temple Mount as part of an effort to revive non-Christian religions throughout the empire. This reading was also important in how its explanation of the early conflict between Christians and Jews gently foreshadowed future religious conflicts of a far grander scale that would rock the Middle East and reverberate across the entire globe.