Caesarea

Caesarea – Introduction

Caesarea is a gem on Israel’s north-central coast, about 55 km north of Tel Aviv, near Hadera. Named in honor of Roman Caesar Augustus, patron of King Herod the Great—the ultimate builder of Judea—this town blends ancient glory with modern luxury. Today, its residential side is all about high-end villas, private neighborhoods, and the rich & famous.

The real star, though, is ancient Caesarea—also called “Caesarea Maritima” (“Caesarea by the Sea”). This national park, recognized by Time Magazine in 2020 as one of the world’s top 52 must-visit places, is packed with history and sea views. For 39 shekels, your ticket gets you into the full complex: the old Roman theatre, the stunning horse-racing hippodrome, Herod’s seafront palace with its ancient “infinity pool,” and the new Visitors Center (opened in 2020) with a 15-minute film about Herod’s bold vision—subtitled in English, Russian, Spanish, and French. You’ll also find cafes, restaurants, galleries, and those iconic breaking waves.

Herod—brilliant, ambitious, and a complete paranoid—wasn’t exactly your warm and fuzzy king. His wife and two sons plotted to replace him, so he had them executed, prompting Caesar Augustus to famously quip, “It’s better to be Herod’s pig than his son.” But he also built wonders: the first artificial deep-water port in the world, Masada’s winter palace, the Herodian fortress, and the breathtaking expansion of Jerusalem’s Second Temple.

In its prime, Caesarea was Judea’s second-most important city after Jerusalem, with two-thirds of the population Roman and one-third Jewish. Life here looked a lot like Rome—think theatre shows, horse races, gladiator games, and lavish bathhouses. But cultural tensions simmered, and in 66 AD, the First Jewish Revolt against Rome sparked right here in Caesarea’s old synagogue.

In the early 1970s, archaeologists digging in Caesarea’s theatre uncovered something remarkable—the Pontius Pilate Stone, an inscription bearing Pontius Pilate’s name exactly as mentioned in the Gospel of John. This single surviving inscription from Pontius Pilate’s time is a rare, tangible link to the man and, by extension, a powerful historical confirmation that Jesus was indeed a real historical figure.

Caesarea & Herod the Great

King Herod built Caesarea Maritima between 25–13 BC as a grand port city of the Roman Empire. It quickly became the administrative center of Judaea, later serving as the capital of the Byzantine province of Palaestina Prima. After the Muslim conquest in the 7th century—when Caesarea was the last city to fall—it remained largely Arab until the Crusaders arrived in the late 11th century. The Crusaders built the massive fortress walls still visible today, stretching from northeast to southeast.

Caesarea’s true golden age was under Herod himself. Over 12 years, starting in 22 BC, he transformed the coastline by building the world’s first deep-sea harbor, complete with storerooms, bustling markets, wide paved streets, Roman baths and steam rooms, a public fountain, grand temples honoring Rome and Augustus, and impressive government buildings. To supply fresh water, Herod built a raised aqueduct from springs 16 km to the northeast—its remains still stand proudly along the beach north of the ancient city. After Emperor Hadrian’s visit in 130 AD, new sections were added and major repairs carried out to meet the city’s growing needs.

Every four years, Caesarea came alive with major sporting events: gladiator battles in the amphitheater at the hippodrome’s southern end, thrilling chariot races with two- or four-horse teams, and theatrical performances in a stunning 3,000-seat theatre overlooking the Mediterranean. That same theatre still stands today—and now hosts some of Israel’s most spectacular live concerts under the open sky.