Page 28 - A Walk to Caesarea / Joseph Patrich

14 Historical Review

Josephus notes that the city was fortified. In the north, a section of the wall some
120 m long has been preserved. It began with the pair of round Hellenistic towers,
which had a gate between them, encompassed the city in a semi-circle and ended
in the south, so that the theater was included within the wall (the length of the
north–south axis was c. 1,300 m, while the west–east axis was c. 500 m). Within
and parallel to the wall, a street ran the entire length, being the “Wall Street.”
Remains of it were discovered in the north, south of the round towers. At the
northeastern corner of the wall, to the east of the round towers, were preserved
the foundations of a pentagonal tower. From there on the wall continues in a
southeasterly direction at an angle of 40°. In the south, a section c. 60 m long was
exposed. Incorporated into the wall here is a solid round tower, which in time was
turned into a rectangular one. No gate was adjacent to this tower. Inside the wall
line was a street or a square paved with beaten kurkar. On the eve of the Jewish
revolt leading to the destruction of the Jewish Temple the area encompassing the
wall was somewhat reduced in this zone.

The dedication of the Herodian city apparently took place in September in 9
BCE and included a festival in honor of Augustus for whom the city and harbor
were named. The games, known as the “Isactium” of Caesarea (that is, games in the
style of Actium), were celebrated every four years in commemoration of Augustus’
victory at the Battle of Actium in September, 31 BCE. They continued to be held
into the third century. Herod was experienced in organizing such games from when
he had arranged similar ones in Jerusalem in 28 BCE. In 12 BCE he also presided
over the 192nd Olympic games.

Description of the City’s Inauguration Festival

“And so, there was, to begin with, a very great festival of dedication and most lavish arrangements.
For he had announced a contest in music and athletic exercises, and had prepared a great number of
gladiators and wild beasts and also horse races and the very lavish shows that are to be seen at Rome
and in various other places. And this contest too he dedicated to Caesar, having arranged to celebrate it
every fifth year. And Caesar, adding luster to his (Herod’s) munificence, from his own revenues sent all
the equipment needed for such games. On her own account Caesar’s wife Julia sent many of her greatest
treasures from Rome, so that the entire sum was reckoned as no less than five hundred talents. When to
see the sights there came to the city a great multitude as well as the envoys sent by communities because
of the benefits that they had received. Herod welcomed them all and entertained them with the lodging
and meals and continuous feasts. During the day the festivals offered the diversion of spectacles, while at
night they provided amusements costing great sums of money, and so they made his generosity famous,
for in all the things that he undertook he was ambitious to surpass what had been done before. And
they say that Caesar himself and Agrippa often remarked that the extent of Herod’s realm was not equal
to his magnanimity, for he deserved to be king of all Syria and of Egypt” (Josephus, Ant. 16, 136–141,
trans. R. Marcus).