Day 1.1 Caesarea
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Caesarea references in the Bible:
- Acts 9:30 - Paul
- Acts 10:1-48 - Peter, Simon the tanner and Cornelius the Centurion
- Acts 18:22 - Paul
- Acts 21:8 - Paul & Philip the evangelist
- Acts 23-26 - Paul spends two years in prison … Ananias, Governor Felix and Drusilla, Festus, the appeal to Caesar
Our first full day in Israel began with a 6:00 am wake up call, 6:30 breakfast and bus load up and departure at 7:30. A few miles up the Mediterranean coast we came to the ancient city of Caesarea.
Built by Herod the Great in the years just before the birth of Jesus (25-13 B.C.), Caesarea boasted a magnificent palace and enormous harbor, a 10-mile aqueduct supplying plentiful water, and bathhouses, 3,500 seat theater, an amphitheater and a 10,000 seat hippodrome providing entertainment and conveniences typical of the great Roman cities. Approximately 60,000 people lived here during the time of Jesus.
After Herod’s death it became the official residence of the Roman governors of Judea and military headquarters for Roman forces. Later, the Jewish revolt started here that eventually led to the Roman crackdown and destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.
We gathered first in the theater for a time of worship (led by Phil with his guitar – thank you Phil!) and teaching by Jeff. Jeff focused on the Acts 10 passage with Peter led by God to not only visit with the gentile Cornelius but baptism him and his household … and then be astonished by the visible gifting of the Spirit on these first gentile Christians! Thank you, Lord!
Jeff focused on the theme of praying and prayer throughout and as one of the primary themes of the entire book of Acts: That the Gospel spread by the power of the Holy Spirit fueled by the prayers of the believers!
Some other highlights of the visit:
- There was almost no one else there! This was our first indication of just how much tourism had been impacted by the war with Hamas that had just come to an end with our arrival .. and certainly led to a pleasant time of touring the site.
- Prison of Paul: we were told that just during the COVID years archaeologists dug under the palace ruins and found what had long been suspected – the unmistakable palace prison, with very high confidence the place where Paul was kept for a full two years. We were able to go down into this prison, just now newly opened for public viewing …. Remarkable!
- Pontus Pilate inscription on a stone - the first ever found
- Touching the Mediterranean Sea!
Jeff concluded his teaching time with a focus on Paul and his determination to preach the Gospel and spread the Good News, no matter what the cost may be to himself (including 2 years in prison in Caesarea):
Acts 20:22-24 NIV
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. [23] I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. [24] However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
We only have one life … let’s not waste a day of it!
