Bible Geography · Mediterranean Coastal Plain · c. 22 BC – AD 640
Caesarea Maritima
Description
Caesarea Maritima was built by Herod the Great between 22 and 10 BC on the site of a small Hellenistic anchorage, featuring an artificial deep-water harbor, a Roman amphitheater, hippodrome, temple to Augustus, and an elaborate sewer system flushed by the tides. It served as the main seaport and Roman administrative center of Judea for nearly 600 years.
Significance
Caesarea Maritima is the gateway city of the New Testament through which the gospel moved from Jewish to Gentile world. It was here that the Roman centurion Cornelius received the Holy Spirit in the first recorded conversion of a Gentile, and from here that Paul embarked on his missionary journeys and was eventually sent to Rome.
Key Events
Philip the Evangelist settling in Caesarea, Peter's vision of clean and unclean animals and visit to Cornelius, Cornelius and his household receiving the Holy Spirit, Herod Agrippa I's death struck down by an angel, Paul's imprisonments and trials before Felix, Festus, and King Agrippa II, and Paul's voyage to Rome.
Modern Context
Caesarea Maritima is one of Israel's most impressive archaeological parks, featuring remarkably preserved Roman ruins including a restored amphitheater still used for concerts, a crusader city, and the remains of Herod's harbor. A 2022 excavation uncovered the earliest known inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate.