Page 103 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies

Caesarea Maritima (by the Sea)
This city was built on the Mediterranean
between Joppa and Tyre. Originally, it was an
ancient village called “Strato’s Tower”, but
Herod the Great built here a magnificent and
strongly fortified city, which he named
Caesarea Sebaste (Sebastos is Greek for
“Augustus”), in honor of Caesar Augustus. He
formed a secure harbor 300 yards across by
constructing a couple of breakwaters out into
the sea. The city was adorned with many
buildings of great splendor, after the manner
of the Roman cities of the West. Herod built
an amphitheater, a hippodrome, libraries, a
temple with colossal statues sacred to Caesar
and to Rome, and public baths.

It was the capital of Judea during the reigns of Herod the Great and Agrippa I, and was the usual
residence of the Roman governor when Judea was a province of the Empire. The inhabitants of the city
were principally Greeks. It was the city where Philip the Evangelist, his four prophesying daughters, and
Cornelius the centurion lived. Herod Agrippa died here by God’s hand. Paul sailed for his native Tarsus
when forced to flee from Jerusalem (Acts 9:30) and
where he landed when returning from his second
missionary journey (Acts 18:22). Paul was imprisoned
here for two years, having hearings before Felix, Festus,
and Agrippa. Vespasian was declared emperor there,
and he made it a Roman colony with all the rights of
Rome. The ruins of the city are quite extensive and
well-preserved.

Let’s Practice…

1. Why was Jericho an important city in Christ’s day?

2. In what ways was it dangerous to travel from Jericho to Jerusalem?

3. What was the amazing event that happened in the insignificant city of Adam?

4. What made Joppa (Jaffa) significant as a city in the Bible?

5. Why was Shiloh important to the Benjamites?

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