Caesarea Maritima
The Coastal Plain includes Caesarea Maritima, which is particularly helpful to set the stage for Herod’s extraordinary civil engineering accomplishments. Caesarea was an artificial harbor built from scratch on a scale that is surprising even by today’s standards (for similar contemporary extravagances, see Dubai’s Palm Islands). The aqueduct, the theatre and the promontory palace also speak to the significance of the site that took over 10 years to build (22-10 BC). During New Testament times, significant events took place there. In a remarkable and deliberate parallel with Acts 2, the Age of the Spirit was inaugurated for non-Jews at Caesarea, which even included a Roman centurion (Cornelius) – the symbol of oppression in Palestine. Thus, as the gateway to the Gentile world and as the Roman provincial headquarters, Caesarea seemed like the perfect place to illustrate the gospel, which would extend beyond the shores of Israel. In Acts 21, awaiting his trial in Rome, Paul would be incarcerated at Caesarea in Herod’s Praetorium, which was foretold by Agabus the prophet and father of four daughters who plied the same trade. Paul would testify with great skill and courage in the presence of the Roman authorities before sailing to Rome.
- Scripture References: Acts 10; 21:7-15; 23-26
- Text References: AOT p. 80, “The Coastal Plain”, ANT pp. 139-145 (Note: As background to king Herod’s building projects outside of Jerusalem, all of ANT chapter 4 is helpful)
- Pictorial and Map References: CBA maps 243, 246
