Caesarea Maritima and Akko: Unlocking the Secrets of the Past

Throughout its history, the port cities of the coast of the Holy Land have been the stage of some of the greatest moments in its history. Between Tel Aviv and Haifa, one such stage can be found – quite literally – at the ancient city of Caesarea Maritima, where visitors to the national archaeological park can sit in the bleachers of the Romana amphitheater and imagine themselves watching performances in ancient times, with Herod the Great, builder of the great seaside metropolis, watching from his imperial seats. Set against the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, Caesarea Maritima is one of the greatest achievements of the tyrant-builder, King Herod, who through ingenuity and determination, turned a stretch of inhospitable shoreline into the largest artificial harbor of its time, and created a boomtown for trade, administration, and leisure. Visitors can still marvel at the stonework and mosaics spread across the park, as well as wander along the dusty hippodrome where chariot races would occur or venture farther out to see the ruins of the Roman aqueducts. In the years following the time of Christ, this city was the seat of the Roman rulers, and it is here that the only known archaeological evidence of Pontius Pilate, a stone inscription, was found in the early 1960s.

The Caesarean connection to the Bible does not end here, for it was at Caesarea Maritima that many of the Apostles and Disciples such as Peter and Paul and Philip the Deacon, lived and conducted their ministries. The first Bishop of Caesarea was Zaccheus of Jericho, as did several important Church historians and scholars, and it is quite possible that the Nicene Creed was also drafted at Caesarea.

Eventually, political changes and the reclamation of the harbor by the relentless waters of the Mediterranean Sea led to the end of the city’s importance as a harbor. A final era of glory occurred during the time of the Crusades when it became an important coastal stronghold of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but following its near-complete destruction and expulsion of the Crusaders in 1265, the city existed in name only, becoming a small fishing-village and building materials salvage site until the entire region became a protected archaeological park.

One does not need to journey much farther north to discover even more echoes of history. A visit to the Old City of Akko, also known by its Arabic name Akka and its Crusader Kingdom name, Acre, can be an inspiring afternoon for all who enjoy Medieval history. It is here that the Crusaders built their greatest and longest-lasting port city that became the de facto capital after the fall of Jerusalem in the late 12th century. It is here that the Crusader Orders, most notably the Knights Templars, held on to their dream of a Christian kingdom in the Holy Land until they were decisively defeated in 1291. The ruins of Akko’s expansive Crusader citadel have now been renovated as a national park, and visitors can wander through the many stone-built halls and tunnels of the structure and its outlying regions and imagine the final tense days of the fall of the city. It is also here in the harbor district that Saint Francis of Assisi arrived to begin his ministry in the Holy Land and allow for the continuation of the Catholic Church following the defeat of the Crusader forces.

To understand the coastal cities is to understand the history of the Holy Land – forever changing rulers and leaders after a time, a witness to the rise and fall of dreams and aspirations of man, but always enduring as a wellspring of faith.

Be Not Afraid!

Good Shepherd Travel offers pilgrimages to Caesarea Maritima and Akko as part of their Holy Land tours. Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, Ireland, and many other destinations are among our most popular programs. For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2020 or in 2021, contact Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com. We will return to pilgrimage – and we hope to see you with us!