March 7, 2010, Caesarea

This morning we took a trip through modern Caesarea before arriving at the ancient city. The modern Caesarea is one of the most affluent cities in Israel. The Prime Minister has a home there. We took a quick visit through a park to see a mosaic which was the center of a large mansion home built at the end of the 6th century. It was covered with sandy soil and discovered by a gardener when they hit rock.

King Herod was the builder of Caesarea and many other palaces throughout Israel. In addition, he is credited with much enhancement to the Temple in Jerusalem. The city of Caesarea was dedicated to the Caesar in Rome. They needed a fresh water source, and they built this aqueduct along the coast. It had to have just the right grade in order to keep the water flowing. Considering it was nearly 5 miles long, this was quite a feat!

Walking along the top of the aquaduct.

View from the side

Entering the theater

The amphitheatre, from Herod's time, originally had 12 rows of seats, with place for some 10,000 spectators.

While we were there, some Asians were singing praises (sitting up in the stands) shouting Halleluyah! The Jewish boys in the forefront starting yelling back, Halleluyah!

Soon the Jewish fellows ran up to stand together as one with the Asians, continuing to sing together!

View from the tunnels underneath the amphitheater.

The remains of another oval Roman amphitheatre, probably dating to the 2nd century CE, were uncovered here. It was used for gladiatorial and animal combats.

Herod's pool jutting out into the Mediterranean, which was part of the palace

Inside the pool

Warehouses

The beautiful Mediterranean

The port, now filled in with sand.

Remains of an ancient walkway to the port

Anchor

In the early second century one vault was converted to a Mithraeum. The contrast between the dark vault and the shaft of sunlight reaching directly the altar from the opening in the ceiling played a role in the worship of Mithras, the Unconquered Sun god.

The altar where the beam of light would have fell during a certain time of day

Moat around the city from the 9th century period

In Acts we learn that there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion, who lived in Caesarea. He was a God-fearer who had a vision to send for a man named Peter from Joppa. Peter also received a vision as he was praying. Acts 10:11 - and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "Not so, Adonai! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." This was years after the resurrection. Peter had never eaten anything unclean. Was this a change in the laws of the Scriptures? If you continue reading this passage in context it will be clear that Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision when the men came from Caesarea to take him to Cornelius. Then he understood that the dream was not about food, but about people! The Jews had considered the Gentiles to be unclean, but God made it clear that ALL believers in Him were to be considered “cleansed.” If you continue in Acts, you will see in Acts 15 that they did not want to make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. They gave them a list of rules including abstaining from food polluted by idols, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. Then he reassured them that they would continue to learn for “Moses is being preached in every city in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” Yes, the early believers were learning the commandments of the Torah on Sabbath, in the first century after the resurrection of the Messiah.

The coastal train