March 20 - Today we toured the ruins of Caesaria. Herod the Great began construction of this coastal city in BC 22. Over the course of the next 12 years, he built Caesarea into a grand Roman city with an aqueduct to Mt Carmel, a stadium, and a magnificent amphitheater, all of which are still standing. It had the largest man-made harbor in the entire Mediterrannean. Like the wily politician he was, Herod renamed the city Caesarea in honor of his political patron, Augustus Caesar. He knew which side of the bread to butter. Caesarea was the home of the Roman governors of Judea, including Pontius Pilate. As the administrative capital, it had a mixed population of Jews and Gentiles.
Caesaria is of great interest to us because it was where the conversion of the Gentiles started. Cornelius the centurion was a "God-fearer," which means he was a gentile who had accepted the God of Abraham and observed the moral law, but he was not a full Jewish convert who had undergone circumcision and kept the Law of Moses. Peter had been given the great revelation that God considered no man unclean, and that Jews could have fellowship - and share the Gospel- with gentiles. He met with Cornelius, and God confirmed that He had accepted the Gentiles by bestowing the second miracle of tongues.
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.".................. And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter ................ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him............ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord."
Paul was also tried by Festus at Caesarea. Paul spent two long years in prison here, from AD 58 to AD 60, before he was shipped off to Rome. Paul appealed for a hearing from Nero Caesar, but unfortunately, before his trial date came, the emperor had slipped into madness.
The "wall" before the grass was the dock where Paul left for Rome.
The sign said this may have been the Judgment Hall where Paul came before Festus. The stadium was the bare ground to the right of the sea.
This picture shows the lower palace of the Roman governors
The public baths of Caresarea
Public bath area. The sink at the lower left of the picture intrigued me.
The private bath of the Governors mansion
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