The history of Caesarea Maritima

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“The king triumphed over nature and constructed a harbour…notwithstanding the totally recalcitrant nature of the site, he grappled with the difficulties so successfully, that the solidity of his masonry defiled the sea, while its beauty was such as if no obstacle had existed” (Little 106). In his remarkably detailed account, Josephus describes the exquisiteness and majesty of the harbor of Sebastos in the city of Caesarea Maritima. The harbor was built with such genius and beauty that, despite the complexity of the landscape, the structure seemed effortless. Herod’s great city and harbor have been the epitome of extravagance and daring since the construction of Caesarea up until today as the city still inspires awe in tourists to Israel. Along with its rich history, Caesarea Maritima has an intriguing archaeological past, as well as major biblical ties. All of these aspects of the city contribute to the importance and uniqueness of the ruins of Caesarea Maritima.
The history of Caesarea Maritima is extensive as the city has been taken and occupied by many different people. Before Caesarea Maritima was founded, this location by the Mediterranean Sea was known as Strato’s Tower. The Phoenicians settled the area in the third century B.C., and named the anchorage in honor of one of the kings of Sidon. The port was captured by Alexander Janneus, and later seized by Pompey (Ward 305). Herod the Great built Caesarea Maritima on top of Strato’s Tower around 20 B.C., and named the city in honor of Augustus Caesar. Caesarea became the capital of the Roman province of Judea in 6 A.D. after the Romans assumed direct control of Palestine (O’Conner 213). For the next 600 years, Caesarea was one of the most important cities in Palestine (The Ho...

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... the importance of the city to the Bible.

Works Cited

Little, Barbara J. Text- Aided Archaeology. Boca Raton: CRC Press, Inc, 1992. Print.
O’ Conner, Jerome Murphy. The Holy Land: The Indispensable Archaeological Guide for
Travellers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. Print.
Patrich, J. Studies in the Archaeology and History of Caesarea Maritima: Caput Judaeae,
Metropolis Palaestinae. Leiden: BRILL, 2011. Print.
The Holy Land: The Land of Jesus. Herzlia: Palphot Ltd. Print.
Sidebotham, Steven E. “American Journal of Archaeology.” Rev. of Caesarea Maritima: The
Pottery and Dating of Vault 1: Horreum, Mithraeum, and Later Uses by Jeffrey A.
Blakely; King Herod's Dream: Caesarea on the Sea by Kenneth G. Holum; Robert L.
Hohlfelder; Robert J. Bull; Avner Raban. April 1990. Web.
Ward, Kaari, ed. Jesus and His Times. Pleasantville: Fifth Printing, 1992. Print.

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