Chapel of the Ascension, Jerusalem after the death and resurrection of Jesus, early Christians began gathering in secret to commemorate his Ascension at a small cave on the Mount of Olives. The issuance of the Edict of Milan by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 313 made it possible for Christians to worship overtly without fear of government persecution. By the time of the pilgrim Egeria's travels to Jerusalem in 384, the spot of veneration had been moved to the present location, uphill from the cave, which had been integrated into the Constantinian Church of Eleona, dedicated by then just to Jesus' teachings about good
Ascension of Jesus in Christian art Ascension of Jesus in Christian art The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven as stated in the New Testament has been a frequent subject in Christian art, as well as a theme in theological writings. However, the Ascension of Jesus is not the only depiction of ascension and other figures, such as Saint John, have been separately depicted as ascending to Heaven. The earliest direct depictions of the Ascension date to around the beginnings of the 5th century, often based on the Hand of God representations and by the 6th century the iconography had been established. In many depictions, (and always