Gospel associationIn the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus is said to have approached the area near the city, but without entering the city itself. Jesus, while in this area, asked his closest disciples who they thought he was.
In Caesarea, ancient Roman ruins mingle with a spectacular Mediterranean beach town. From fascinating archeological wonders to incredible snorkeling and diving, this Northern Israeli city located between Tel Aviv and Haifa is well worth a visit.
The modern name, Banias, is an Arabic corruption of the original. In 2 B.C., one of Herod the Great's sons, Philip, renamed it Caesarea in honor of Emperor Augustus. In order to distinguish it from the harbor city of Caesarea Maritima (on the Mediterranean), it became known as Caesarea Philippi.
Caesarea in American English1. seaport in ancient Palestine, on the Mediterranean, south of Haifa, Israel: Roman capital of Palestine. 2. city in ancient Palestine, near Mt. Hermon.
In 726–722 BC, the new king of Assyria, Shalmaneser V, invaded the land and besieged the city of Samaria. After an assault of three years, the city fell and much of its population was taken into captivity and deported.
The ancient city of Caesarea Maritima was built by Herod the Great about 25–13 BCE as a major port. It served as an administrative center of the province of Judaea (later named Syria Palaestina) in the Roman Empire, and later as the capital of the Byzantine province of Palaestina Prima.
Palestine in the Time of Jesus. Palestine in the Time of Jesus. Galilee. Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee. This northern territory of Palestine was also his most important area of activity.
A riot in Caesarea incited the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt against Rome. Later Caesarea became an important center of religious study and training. The great early Christian scholar and apologist, Origen, visited Caesarea in 231 CE and turned the city into a center of Christian learning.
Most of the burial site is in ruins, probably deliberately damaged by Jewish rebels, who loathed the Roman-appointed Herod and holed up in Herodium during a revolt against the Roman Empire in the late 60s A.D. The team found no bones in the tomb, and it's highly unlikely Herod's remains will ever be found.
Antioch, Turkish Antakya, populous city of ancient Syria and now a major town of south-central Turkey. It lies near the mouth of the Orontes River, about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the Syrian border.
There is a train link between Tel Aviv and Haifa, and Caesarea, however from the station you will need to take a taxi to the site about a five-minute ride away (it is too far to walk). There are no inter-city buses to the town although local buses do come from Hadera irregularly during the day.
