Caesarea: Where Paul appealed to Caesar

The first time I went to Caesarea (in 2017), we walked thru the theater and then on the remains of Herod’s Palace.

This time, I got to explore the whole city- the Roman and Crusader parts, and everything in between. From the ancient synagogue to the hippodrome, Pilot’s basement, and the theater once again, it was a day to remember!

It took Herod the Great 9 years to construct Caesarea on the remains of the ancient Phoenician town of Strato's Tower. The town had Roman-style buildings, a large aqueduct stretching 16 miles, an artificial harbor of concrete blocks, a large theater that could seat 4,000, and a hippodrome for 30,000.

the lower section of Herod's summer home- indoor pool!

Herod had a palace here (this Caesarea was better known as 'Caesarea Maritime') and Pilot had a residence as well. After Jesus' ascension back into heaven, the Early Church thrived here after the conversation of Cornelius and his family. Paul was actually imprisoned here for 2 years and testified before Agrippa, Felix, and Festus, before being sent to Rome. Caesarea fell in 66AD to the Romans, and was also a significant during the Bar Kochba Revolt of 132-135 AD. Rabbi Akiba and 9 others were martyred here, something that is observed by the Jews on Yom Kippur.

Then, Caesarea became the capital of Syrio-Palestina, the name given to Israel when its name was taken by the Emperior Hadrian after the revolt in 135 (Palestine means "Philistine", who were a sea-faring people from somewhere else). Britannica says the city declined under the Byzantine and Arab rule, then was built back up by the Crusaders, then was razed to the ground by the Mamluks in 1265.

Wow!!!

And, this is one of those places where it is IMPOSSIBLE to see it all in 1 trip. I'll definitely need to go back and explore more! But here are some of the sites that made me gasp:

1. Ancient Roman Roads- with ORIGINAL FLOORS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T EVEN!!!!!

2. The lowest level of Pilot's Palace (his cellar), as well as some storage facilities:

3. The view from the Byzantine-era synagogue and more of the harbor: 

What an incredible place! There's so much more to learn and explore. Next time I'll have to go with a guide (for the whole day)!

One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!

I know this blog is supposed to be about Biblical history/historical places, and all things Israel, but I'm going to wander a bit and return to my trip to Cyprus for one more post. 

But really, can you blame me?

The caves of Cape Greco are just incredible. And also—historical! It's one of the most ancient settlements on the island, so Lazarus definitely could have come here.

In 2007, a shipwreck dating back to the 2nd century AD was found in the cape. So again, Lazarus definitely could have visited, haha.

There are caves that are only accessible by water, and wildlife specific just to this area of Cyprus. So it's definitely a place I recommend visiting. 

And at the end of the day, you get to go swimming! Definitely a win. Seriously... how is the water this blue and clear at the same time? It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Okay, that's it for Cyprus—next week, it's back to exploring the incredible Land of Israel!

Where Lazarus was buried (the 2nd time!)

I interrupt this series on historical places in Israel to talk about where I went last month: Cyprus!

This was my first time to this beautiful country, and it did not disappoint!

My first stop in Larnaca was to see the promenade... and I was pleasantly surprised to immediately find a castle!

It's not too far from the crown jewel of Larnaca: the Church of St. Lazarus.

It's said that after Jesus' ascension back to Heaven, Lazarus had to flee for his life. So, he went to Cyprus, and lived there until he died (again) 30 years later. He was buried in this church in Larnaca, but his grave was lost over the centuries... until the 8th century, when a tomb was uncovered that said, "Lazarus, 4 days dead, friend of Christ." The remains were moved and later stolen, but a church was later built over the site of the tomb.

It's a Greek Orthodox church, built in the 9th century AD. The inside is really ornate, and it's free to enter.

In addition to a Greek Orthodox church, the Church of St. Lazarus has also been a Catholic church, and for a few years under Ottoman rule, a mosque.

I love historical places, especially Biblical ones. And I so wish I could have gone to Paphos, because it was the birth place of Barnabas—and he and Paul went there on one of their journeys—but getting to see a place where someone who knew Jesus as friend (who was raised back to life!) lived and died is still pretty cool!

And you don't even have to guess: going to Bethany and where Lazarus died (the first time) and was raised back to life by Jesus is 100% on my list!

Horns of Hattin: Where the Crusaders Fell

The Horns of Hattin is another incredible place that I'm glad I got to see when all the world was as green as green can be. 

An extinct volcano, its rim has 2 horns that give the mountain its name. The views are incredible (check out Mount Arbel in the distance!), the silence, save for birdsong and wind, was deafening, and the historical significance of this site, mind-blowing. 

On July 4, 1187, this mountain is where the land changed over from Crusader hands to Ayyubite Control, let by Saladin ElAyyubi after a bloody battle.

It was summer, so the grasses made for perfect tinder when the Sultan Saladin's forces set fire to it, trapping everyone and eventually killing them. 

I could just see the battle playing out before me and was like, "Why has no one made a movie about this yet?" It turns out that they did when I was in college: Kingdom of Heaven. Remember that?

Only, I'm pretty sure that movie was set in Jerusalem, not the Galilee. The setting did not look anything like the Galilee. But when has historical accuracy (and literary, but that's another soapbox for another day) ever been Hollywood's strong suit?

Anywho... this was such a fun place to explore. We were the only ones there, walking through the long grass and climbing over rocks. Wikipedia says that Saladin built a victory dome here, but by 1217, a German explorer said it was desolate. I can say that in 2022, it's just natural beauty (and a loooooooot of rocks). 

And, ironically enough, this place is also a 3rd possible location for Jesus' Sermon on the Mount/Mount Beatitudes.

Mount Arbel: Soaring over the Galilee

When I first went to the Galilee in on my Bible tour in 2017, I saw this cliff towering over the north end of the lake and said, "I want to go there". 

When I returned October 2021, I saw the same cliff and said, "Yup... I'm definitely going there... in the spring, when the sky will be the most brilliant of blues and the grass lush and green."

Cue my weekend in the Galilee in March. The time had come!

I was going to hike up the cliff, until I heard nonsense like "steep" and even sillier "handholds". Um... nope. Nope nope nope. Instead, I walked all the trails at the top, stayed at least 5 feet from every edge, and "maaaaahhh'ed" at a mountain goat. 

Wow, talk about breathtaking views!

But also, the history of this cliff is once again, INCREDIBLE. As if history cannot be incredible... I don't think that's possible. 

During the Hasmonean Period (The Inter-Testamental Period, or the "400 years of Silence"), Arbel was known as Mount Nitai. It was conquered by the Selucids (Greeks), as noted in the book of 1 Maccabees.

There was a great battle here between Galilean Zealots, who barricaded themselves at Arbel (there are a ton of caves all along the paths and cliffs) and the Selucids in 38 BC. Marc Antony sent Herod to quell a rebellion in the village of "Arbella"... that's Arbel. 

Herod was only able to win by having men lowered down in cages to the caves from the top of the cliffs. They were then able to kill the rebels that didn't jump to their deaths. 

Then, in 66-67 AD, Mount Arbel once again became a site of a great battle. Josephus, who was Commander of the Galilee, actually fortified the caves for refugees both in Mount Arbel and Mount Nitai nearby. To this day, a wall can be seen that was built to protect the caves. 

There's obviously so much more to the history of Arbel, as well as the histories up above. Maybe one day I'll explore them more. I'd love to see the synagogue and the caves! I just need cooler weather, a better sense of balance, and a SIGNIFICANTLY decreased fear of heights, haha. 

Wow! If you ever go to the Galilee, I 100% recommend Mount Arbel! It's incredible!