Beginning in 6 AD, Caesarea was the seat of the Roman Government for over 500 years.
The Crusaders (11th-12th centuries AD) were the last to build monumental structures in Caesarea.
Political/Cultural Significance
Seat of the Roman Government for over 500 years
Home to Roman procurators, including Pontius Pilate (the ruler who sentenced Jesus to death)
Pilate’s name was discovered on an inscription here which identified him as the “prefect of Judea”
To supply water to the city’s population, Herod built an aqueduct system stretching from the springs of Mt. Carmel to Caesarea
Herod’s harbor at Caesarea was, at that time, the largest artificial harbor ever built in the open sea.
In the 3rd-5th centuries AD, Caesarea was an intellectual center for both Jews and Christians.
Biblical Significance
Most of the biblical significance of Caesarea comes from the period of the Early Church
Acts 8:40; 21:8-9 Philip (one of the 7 “deacons” in Jerusalem) was the first to preach in Caesarea
Acts 10 Peter came to Caesarea in response to a vision at Joppa and preached the gospel in Cornelius’s home
Acts 12:19-24 God struck down Herod Agrippa I in Caesarea for accepting the worship of others who called him a god and for persecuting the early church
Acts 9:30; 18:22; 21:8-16 Paul visited the city 3 times, and on the 3rd occasion he was warned that if he went to Jerusalem, he would be captured by the Jews and delivered to the Gentiles
