Being born in or near Jerusalem, he was consecrated a priest ca. 343 by Maximus of Jerusalem. After this man's death or deposition, Cyril became bishop at the appointment of Acacius of Caesarea-a noted homoean. In 358, Cyril was deposed by Acacius on the grounds that he had misappropriated church property in the famine of 350 (eight years ealier!), but the real reason probably lay in Cyril's refusal to submit to Caesarea's see on ecclesiastical disciplinary matters. Cyril regained his see in 359 after he supported the majority homoiousians at the Council of Seleucia, who deposed, in turn, Acacius. A short year later, Cyril's fortunes fell again as Constantius, a pro-homoean, deposed him in 360. In 361, following Constantius' death and Julian's declaration of immunity for bishops, he took his place in Jerusalem once more. This lasted until 364, when Valens, another pro-homoean, took power and established a different bishop. Finally, in 378, upon Valens' death, Cyril retook his spot where he remained until his death just under a decade later.

Cyril authored eighteen catecheses and a procatachesis in 348. These emphasize the importance of the right motives for baptism and provide the articles of the profession of faith given in^4th century Jerusalem. He is perhaps best known for his Mystagogical Catecheses which were initially given the week of Easter. They still dealt with the meaning of Baptism, but included the Eucharist and an explanation of the liturgy. The liturgy imitates Christ's history of salvation and therefore instructs the believer in the Christian understanding of salvation. He also left behind a few homilies which are not much regarded in scholarship. Reception: The Cat. have provided persons reflecting on church practice since the fourth century with a valuable insight into liturgical practice in the early church. Indeed, church liturgy to the present day has looked back to Cyril's work, enabling one to claim his writings have influenced all of church history.