CAESAREA BY THE SEA

Caesarea by the Sea (to be distinguished from Caesarea Philippi) is located about 23 miles south of Mt. Carmel and 64 miles northwest of Jerusalem. The city was built by Herod the Great in honor of Caesar Augustus. It was said that the beauty of Caesarea rivaled that of Rome, so Herod named the city in honor of the Emperor in order to appease him. The ingenuity of Herod the Great is seen in the ruins of this city. He skillfully engineered a man-made harbor and made the city into the capital of Palestine in the Roman period. The ruins of Herod’s palace have been excavated recently. There is a magnificent theater and an amazing aqueduct standing as testimony to a once thriving city of 80,000 to 100,000 people. Pontius Pilate ruled the land from the governor’s palace in Caesarea. Peter preached to Cornelius and the Gentiles there. It was here that Paul appeared before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa (Acts 23-26). Paul was imprisoned here for two years and sailed in chains to Rome for trial. In 1961 a stone was found in the theater with the name of "Pontius Pilate" inscribed upon it. Eusebius, a Christian historian was born here in 260 A.D. Incredible discoveries are still being made by the spade of the archaeologists in this fascinating Biblical site. Philip the deacon lived and evangelized here. (Acts 8:40)