Day 1: Caesarea

Reflections: Caesarea & Beth She’an are both distinctly Roman cities with tons of Roman architecture and artifacts. You can definitely sense that the building materials and techniques were vastly more sophisticated and expensive than some of the smaller cities we visited along the sea of Galilee. Even today among what is now ancient ruins, you can sense the grandeur of the city relative to the surrounding towns and villages and the dramatic scene that would have ensued as Paul made his case before the governor Felix and the Jewish accusers.

Prayer: That we would be bold in our proclamation of the Word like Peter, Paul and Philip in Caesarea.

Overview: Caesarea Maritima (“by the Sea”) is located on the shore in the center of Israel,  in the middle between Haifa and Tel-Aviv. It is the site of one of the most important cities in the Roman World, the Roman capital of the province of Judea at the time of Jesus, and a Crusader fortress along the road from Acre to Jerusalem.  Today, Caesarea is a large and interesting national park which and  a mandatory place to visit while exploring the Holy Land.

Acts 10 – The apostle Peter is called to Caesarea and preaches to the people there. While he is preaching the Holy Spirit descends upon the gentiles.

Acts 21 – Philip the evangelist takes up residence in Caesarea with his four daughters who were also prophets

Acts 23-25 – Paul makes his case before the Roman authorities and is detained for nearly two years under house arrest in the city.