(1) Cresaroa Palestina, or Czcsarea of Pales tine, so called to distinguish it from the other Caesarea, or simply Cesarea, without addition. from its eminence as the Roman metropolis of Palestine and the residence of the procurator. It was built by Herod the Great, with much of beauty and convenience, twenty-two years before the birth of Christ, on a spot where had formerly stood a tower called Straton's Tower.
The whole coast of Palestine may he said to be extremely inhospitable, exposed as it is to the fury of the western storms, with no natural port af fording adequate shelter to the vessels resorting to it. To remedy this defect, I lerod, who, though an arbitrary tyrant, did much for the improve ment of Judea, set about erecting, at immense cost and labor, one of the most stupendous works of antiquity. Ile threw out a semicircular mole, which protected the port of ri•sarea on the south and west, leaving only a sufficient opening for vessels to enter from the north, so that, within the enclosed space, a fleet might ride at all weath ers in perfect security. The mole was constructed of immense blocks of stone brought from a great distance, and sunk to the depth of twenty fathoms in the sea.
Besides this I Ierod added many splendid build ings to the city, among which was a temple, dedi cated to Cesar. a theater, and an amphitheater, and when the whole was finished, which was within twelve years from the commencement of the undertaking, he fixed his residence there, and thus elevated the city to the rank of the civil and military capital of Judxa, which rank it continued to enjoy as long as the country re mained a province of the Roman empire (Joseph. Antiq. XV :9, etc. See Dr. Mansford, Script. Gaz etteer). Vespasian raised Caesarea to the rank of a Roman colony, granting it, first, exemption from the capitation tax, and afterwards, from the ground taxes.
Caesarea is the scene of several interesting cir cumstances described in the New Testament, such as the conversion of Cornelius, the first fruits of first acts of that war was the massacre of all the Jewish inhabitants by the Gentiles, to the number of 20,000 (Joseph. u. s. 1).
Caesarea is almost thirty-five miles north of Joppa or Jaffa, and fifty-five miles from Jerusa lem. It still retains the ancient name in the form
of Kaiseraih, but has long been desolate. The most conspicuous ruin is that of an old castle, at the extremity of the ancient mole. A great extent of ground is covered by the remains of the city. A low wall of grey-stone encompasses these ruins, and without this is a moat now dry. Between the accumulation of rubbish and the growth of long grass it is difficult to define the form and nature of the various ruins thus en closed. Nevertheless, the remains of two aque ducts, running north and south, are still visible. The one next the sea is carried on high arches; the lower one, to the eastward, carries its waters along a low wall, in an arched channel, five or six the Gentiles (Acts x) ; the residence of Philip the Evangelist (Acts xxi :8) ; the journey thither of St. Paul ; his pleading there before Felix ; his imprisonment for two years, and his final plead ing before Festus and King Agrippa (Acts xxiv). It was here also, in the amphitheater built by his father, that Herod Agrippa was smitten of God Ind died (Acts xii :21-23).
It seems there was a standing dispute between the Jewish and Gentile inhabitants of Caesarea as to which of them the city really belonged. The former claimed it as having been built by a Jew, meaning King Herod; the latter admitted this, but contended that he built it for them and not for Jews, seeing that he had filled it with statues and temples of their gods, which the latter abomi nated (Joseph. De Bell. hid. ii:13. 7). This quar rel sometimes came to blows, and eventually the matter was referred to the emperor Nero, whose decision in favor of the Gentiles, and the behavior of the latter thereupon, gave deep offense to the Jews generally, and afforded occasion for the first outbreaks, which led to the war with the Ro mans (Joseph. De Bell. furl. ii :i4). One of the feet wide. The water is abundant and of excel lent quality, and the small vessels of the country often put in here to take in their supplies. Cxsa rea is, apparently, never frequented for any other purpose; even the high-road leaves it wide, and it has been visited by very few of the numerous travelers in Palestine.