Theophanes</i>

Theophanes, CHRONOGRAPHIA, c. 800 C.E.

Palestine under the Moslems, translated by Guy Le Strange,
Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, 1890, pp. 91-92.

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643 C.E.Anno Mundi 6135, Anno Domini 635

In this year Omar began to restore the Temple at Jerusalem, for the building, in truth, no longer then stood firmly founded, but had fallen to ruin. Now when Omar inquired the cause, the Jews answered saying: 'Unless thou throw down the Cross, which stands on the Mount of Olives, the building of the Temple will never be firmly founded.' Thereupon Omar threw down the Cross at that place, in order that the building (of the Temple) might be made firm; and for the same cause innumerable crosses in other quarters these enemies of Christ did likewise overthrow.

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[Note. Emphasis here added. In this translation of Theophanes' Chronographia, by Guy Le Strange, Theophanes reports that Caliph Omar began the restoration of an existing building (later the Al-Aqsa mosque) that was then in ruin. This agrees with Bishop Arculf's description given in a previous selection, but compare this translation to the next selection, by Cyril Mango and Roger Scott. — A.v.d.N.]