Was Caesarea the capital of Judea in the time of Jesus?
Ancient Caesarea Archaeological Ruins
Was Caesarea the capital of
Judea in the time of Jesus?
This painted sketch reveals why Caesarea was the Roman capital of the Province of Judea in the Roman Empire. The harbor was a spectacle, and one of the wonders of the ancient world.
In 10 B.C. Augustus Caesar decided to rebuild a small coastal station called Strato's Tower into a new city, which would be renamed Caesarea Maritima, in honor of Augustus. He allotted the task to the architectural mastermind Herod the Great. Herod built a harbor at Caesarea that would become one of the wonders of the ancient world. He built a massive breakwater which formed a horseshoe of protection around the whole bay. On the coast he built some of the most impressive works of architecture in the Roman world. He built an amphitheater, a citadel, a palace, a hippodrome, city walls and gates, paved squares with huge statues, and other marvels of Graeco-Roman civilization. It was here in Caesarea where the prefect Pontius Pilate lived, the foundation of his house was on a rock in the middle of the harbor and is still there to this day.
Caesarea was also a spectacular location to build a city, because it was right in the center of the Plain of Sharon, one of the most fertile areas in the world. Centuries of rains from the clouds formed by the nearby Mediterranean Sea showered the Judean hills, and brought plenty of rich soil to irrigate the plain where Caesarea was situated. The climate was always fairly warm and never out of control. Oranges, figs, lemons, grapes, almonds, and even olives in the hills, grew in abundance. Anyone coming into Judea from anywhere in the Graeco-Roman world would marvel at this awesome Jewish city with all the spectacles of Hellenistic art, architecture and culture. It became the administrative center of the Roman procurators of the province of Judea, and also became the headquarters of the Roman legions. Caesarea was indeed a thriving place during the first century A.D., during the time of Jesus and the apostle Paul.
Acts 21:8 - And the next [day] we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was [one] of the seven; and abode with him.
Acts 25:6 - And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.
Acts 8:40 - But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
The ancient harbor at Caesarea is important in the study of Biblical archaeology, and many artifacts are still being discovered. There have been extensive excavations in this ancient city which are still going on today, much of which are underwater explorations.
Caesarea Maritima is located along the Mediterranean coast of Israel.
There are numerous remains which can be seen today from the time of
Herod. The theater, the bath houses, the hippodrome, the Pontius Pilate
Stone inscription and more.
The Theater at Caesarea was built by Herod the Great. The ruins reveal
that the architecture was truly amazing. It was wonderfully constructed
and existed during the time of Jesus Christ and Paul the Apostle.
Ancient ruins like this can be seen all around Caesarea, going back
beyond the time of Jesus. These columns were made of granite from Sinai
and marble from Italy which revealed the immense wealth that was present
at Caesarea.
Galina in front of the ruins of the Hippodrome at Caesarea. Many chariot
races were performed here. The long forum contained spectators all
around, many of them were awaiting collisions and deaths around the
treacherous turns.
Replica of the famous Pontius Pilate Inscription was discovered in the
theater at Caesarea. It was a first century A.D. dedication stone with
an inscription to Tiberius Caesar from Pontius Pilate, governor
(prefect) of Judea.
Nissim, the chief antiquities dealer at Caesarea for the State of
Israel. His collection of artifacts were spectacular: coins, gold,
silver, bronze, jewelry, weapons, pottery, statues, glass, etc. He
shared with me many stories about the ruins and excavations at Caesarea
and other places.
Some Scriptures mentioning "Caesarea"
Acts 10:1 - There was a certain man in Caesarea
called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian [band],
Acts 23:23
- And he called unto [him] two centurions, saying, Make ready two
hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen
threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of
the night;
Mark 8:27
- And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of
Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples,
saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
Acts 12:19
- And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined
the keepers, and commanded that [they] should be put to death. And
he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and [there]
abode.
Acts 21:8
- And the next [day] we that were of Paul's company departed, and
came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of
Philip the evangelist, which was [one] of the seven; and abode with
him.
Acts 25:6
- And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went
down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the
judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.
Acts 8:40
- But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in
all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
Acts 10:24
- And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And
Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and
near friends.
Acts 21:16
- There went with us also [certain] of the disciples of
Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old
disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Acts 25:4
- But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea,
and that he himself would depart shortly [thither].
Acts 25:13
- And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto
Caesarea to salute Festus.
Matthew
16:13 - When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea
Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the
Son of man am?
Acts 23:33
- Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the
epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
Acts 25:1
- Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he
ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
Acts 9:30
- [Which] when the brethren knew, they brought him down to
Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
Acts 18:22
- And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and
saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.
Acts 11:11
- And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto
the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
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