While we have no evidence that Jesus ever spent any time in Caesarea Maritima, many of His servants did. Paul, Peter, and Philip all did significant work for the Lord in this city.
- Also known as Caesarea Maritima (“by the sea”) to distinguish it from Caesarea Philippi.
- A garrison port of Rome on the Palestine coast, 65 miles from Jerusalem.
- The ancient Caesarea Maritima was built by Herod the Great between 22-10 B.C. It contained an amphitheater, a temple to Rome and Augustus, and a drainage system.
- It sits on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
- It was named in honor of Augustus Caesar.
- Herod built a palace for himself in Caesarea jutting out into the sea, with a decorative pool.
- An aqueduct brought water from springs located about 10 miles to the northeast.
- Caesarea served as a base for the Herodian navy, which operated in aid of the Romans as far as the Black Sea.
- Herod built the largest artificial harbor of the first century in Caesarea.
- The city is the location of the 1961 discovery of the Pilate Stone. This the only archaeological item that mentions the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate (by whose orders Jesus was crucified). Many scholars believe that Pilate used Caesarea as a base, and he only went to Jerusalem as needed.
- All resident Jews of the city were massacred when the rebellion broke out against the Romans in 66 A.D.
- After preaching in Samaria, Philip the evangelist and his four virgin daughters took up residence (Acts 8:40; 21:8).
- God sent Peter from Joppa to preach the gospel to the first Gentile (Cornelius) in Caesarea (Acts 10-11).
- Before being sent to Rome, Paul spent a couple of years imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 24:27). There he was protected from the Jews who attempted to assassinate him (Acts 25:1-6).
- After Roman times, Caesarea fell into decay. The Arabs fell upon the coast, and the Crusaders were the only intruders to give attention to the port.
