Hybrid Roman Paganism Returns to Power
"The Hebrew Way of Yeshua? Still buried."
363 AD – Julian’s Death & Immediate Reversal
- June 26, 363: Emperor Julian dies in Persia—his attempt to restore traditional paganism ends after only 18 months.
- June 27, 363: Jovian, a Christian general, is proclaimed emperor. Religious policy is secondary; getting the army home is urgent.
- Julian’s Pagan Restoration dies with him.
Jovian’s Emergency: Survival First, Religion Second
- Negotiates humiliating peace with Sassanids.
- Abandons Roman territories, pays tribute, focuses on retreat.
- Immediately reverses Julian’s pagan experiment—not out of faith, but for political stability.
- Restores Constantine’s hybrid Roman-Christian system.
364 AD – Sudden Transition: Valens & Valentinian
- Jovian dies after only 8 months—religion remains hybrid, not pure Christian nor pagan.
- Empire divided between Valentinian I (West) and Valens (East).
- Both maintain imperial pagan structure under Christian labels.
364–378 AD – Two "Christianities": Tolerance or Arianism
- West (Valentinian I): Allows both Arian and Nicene “Christianity”, but forbids Hebrew practices (Sabbath, Torah, Name of YHWH).
- Absorbs pagan festivals, keeps imperial authority over all religions.
- East (Valens): Enforces Arian doctrine with imperial force, exiling Nicene bishops and continuing Sunday worship, pagan calendar, and anti-Hebrew stance.
- Procopius Rebellion (365–366): Failed pagan coup shows Julian’s paganism still had supporters—but is crushed by imperial force.
375–378 AD – The Gothic Crisis Exposes the System
- Gothic migration floods empire with Arian “Christian” barbarians—still practicing Germanic paganism underneath.
- Battle of Adrianople (378): Valens killed by Gothic “Christian” army—proves religious labels mean nothing in crisis.
- Both sides use Christian language, but fight for tribal and imperial interests.
What This Era Really Revealed:
- "Christian restoration" was only a return to Constantine's hybrid paganism—not biblical faith.
- Religious labels were political tools; imperial force, not faith, decided theology.
- Pagan festivals, Sunday worship, and Greek philosophy remained foundation for both Arian and Nicene systems.
- The Hebrew Way of Yeshua was still extinct—buried beneath both systems.
The Bottom Line (363–379 AD):
This was not "Christianity" defeating paganism—it was hybrid Roman paganism (with Christian names) versus traditional Roman paganism (with classical names).
The only thing dead was the original Hebrew faith.