▁to ▁a ▁sequence ▁of ▁natural ▁dis aster s ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁er u ptions ▁of ▁the ▁vol can ic ▁island ▁of ▁Th era , ▁the ▁Emperor ▁Leo ▁III ▁the ▁Is aur ian ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁Empire ▁had ▁lost ▁divine ▁favour . ▁Al ready ▁in ▁ 7 2 2 ▁he ▁had ▁tried ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁conversion ▁of ▁the ▁Empire ' s ▁Jews , ▁but ▁soon ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁turn ▁his ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁v ener ation ▁of ▁icons , ▁which ▁some ▁b ish ops ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁regard ▁as ▁id ol atr ous . ▁In ▁ 7 2 6 , ▁Leo ▁published ▁an ▁ed ict ▁condem ning ▁their ▁use ▁and ▁showed ▁himself ▁increasing ly ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁icon oph iles . ▁He ▁formally ▁b anned ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁religious ▁figures ▁in ▁a ▁court ▁council ▁in ▁ 7 3 0 . ▁ ▁This ▁decision ▁prov oked ▁major ▁opposition ▁both ▁from ▁the ▁people ▁and ▁the ▁church , ▁especially ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Rome , ▁which ▁Leo ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁into ▁account . ▁In ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁Warren ▁T read g old : ▁" He ▁saw ▁no ▁need ▁to ▁consult ▁the ▁church , ▁and ▁he ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁surprised ▁by ▁the ▁depth ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁opposition ▁he ▁encountered ". ▁The ▁controvers y ▁weak ened ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁key ▁factor ▁in ▁the ▁sch ism ▁between ▁the ▁Patri arch ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁and ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Rome . ▁ ▁The ▁Um ay y ad ▁C ali ph ate ▁however ▁was ▁increasing ly