Caesarea
As its name suggests, Caeasrea was named for one of the Caesars. Specifically, it was built by Herod the Great in honor of Caesar Augustus, to whom Herod owed much of his power in the region. It is not a place name, therefore, that you will find in the Old Testament.
In fact, if you look up Caesarea in a concordance, you will discover two different places by that time mentioned in the New Testament. The one, mentioned occasionally in the Gospels, is Caeasrea Philippi. This was a city in the north, near Mt. Hermon, which was also built by Herod the Great. He originally named it Paneas, though his son Philip later expanded the building project there and renamed the city for both Caesar and himself. The other Caesarea, which is our focus here, is sometimes referred to as Caesarea Maritima, for it is the Caesarea located along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Herod established it as a major port city, which took twelve years to build. It, rather than Jerusalem, became the Roman headquarters for the region. Caesarea is mentioned a few times in passing in Acts as a way of tracking the work of the apostles and the spread of the gospel. Most notable in that regard, Caeasarea was where Cornelius was stationed, and where Peter met with him and his household. Then, near the end of the Book of Acts, Caesarea became a site of Paul's imprisonment and some significant trials. He was in custody in Caesarea for two years prior to the moment when he appealed to Caesar, and was thus shipped off to Rome. Many significant ruins from the ancient city of Caesarea remain. A Roman aqueduct and coliseum are prominent on the site. And archaeological excavations have made it a truly impressive place to visit, for there is much still visible to aid the imagination in picturing how it used to be. |