Page 45 - A Walk to Caesarea / Joseph Patrich

A Walk to Caesarea: A Historical-Archaeological Perspective 31

status of the city as the only capital in the country. During the fourth century (before Fig. 32
409), the province Judaea-Palaestina was divided into two smaller provinces, and
later, into three. Caesarea remained the capital solely of Palaestina Prima. A change A Greek inscription incised
also occurred in its religious standing when the Council of Chalcedon, meeting in on the eastern gate arch
453, recognized Jerusalem as the fifth patriarchate of the Church (alongside Rome, of the city, denoting that
Alexandria, Antioch, and Constantinople), and the Metropolitan of Caesarea Caesarea was a metropolis –
became subordinate to the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Even previously, there had a provincial capital
been resentment between these two Sees, with the bishop of Caesarea claiming
preeminence since his city was the administrative capital of the province, while the
bishop of Jerusalem argued that he took precedence since his city was “the Mother
of all Churches.” The city and its agricultural hinterland suffered three Samaritan
revolts, in 484, 529/30, and 555. Moreover, the plague of 541/2, which spread
throughout the empire, brought devastation. Some also mention a tsunami that
struck Caesarea in 551, but its influence on the city is unclear.

The dux – the chief military commander of the province (and in time the
commander of the three provinces of Palaestina) from the time of the reforms
of Diocletian, also had a palace in Caesarea, probably on the site of the Roman
governor’s palace that had been damaged by pounding waves and whose area
had shrunk. No doubt contributing to the reduction in area were also the dux’s
endeavors, which were mainly on the borders of the province – in the Negev,
and not Caesarea. Adjacent to the palace a fortress surrounded by walls with