Caesarea- Caesarea Maritima

The yellowish-white blocks are the remains of the
once great Palace of King Herod

View of the Hippodrome

View of the Theatre (1)

This place will be remembered perhaps as one of the greatest harbor city that King Herod built.The city was named Caesarea to honor his friend Caesar Augustus. This place was said to be his crowning achievement despite all the other amazing places that he had built. He built palaces, temples, a theater which is larger than the Coliseum in Rome,  a marketplace, a hippodrome which was a famous stadium that housed chariot races and other competitions and water and sewage systems in the city. This place was simply breathtaking and until today people actually talk about this place when they talk about King Herod. 

 Sculpture of Horses and Chariots that

once took part in races thousands of years ago 

Inside the Hippodrome

After the destruction of Jerusalem, Caesarea became the most important city in the country. However, it was raided by the Persians and later taken over by the Muslims before the crusaders came to rebuilt it. However, it was destroyed again after the crusaders retreat. This place was also destroyed mostly from earthquakes, storm waves and wars that took place over there after the reign of King Herod. The place had started to rebuild again in the year 1873 and the work continues today.

Signboard about Pontius Pilate during the trail 

of Jesus

In terms of the bible, this is also a place that was very rich in terms of certain events which occurred in the bible, This place was believed to be where Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus lived. 

Most importantly, it was at the household of Cornelius in Acts 10, at Caesarea where Peter preached the good news about Gentiles also being accepted into the kingdom of God along with the Jews. Previously Salvation was only understood to be for the Jews but the vision that Peter had before at Joppa, taught him that salvation will be for every one who believes in God regardless of Jews or Gentiles.The Holy Spirit also fell among the Gentiles for the first time and they started to speak in tongues and Peter baptized the Gentiles after they were filled with the spirit, in the name of the Lord. 

This place is also where Paul traveled often and in Acts 25-26, gave his case about his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ before Felix and King Agrippa after being imprisoned for 2 years. 

View of the once great Port thousands of years ago

Today, we Gentiles, need to remember that it was at this place whereby the Lord declared through Peter that whoever believed in him regardless of any nation will be saved and the Lord shows no partiality to anyone. It was also the first baptism of the Gentiles and today as the gospel has spread to most parts of the world, this place was the very beginning of the 
good news of Jesus Christ, to the Gentiles which is to us.