This Ptolemais is a maritime city of Galilee, built in the great plain.
Josephus, The Wars of the Jews 2.188
Our journey south along the coast began. Three ancient ports on the Mediterranean awaited us. The first was Akko (also spelled Acco or Acre; called Ptolemais in Roman times), the only one of the three still used as a harbor today. Situated on a small peninsula, it makes for an adequate natural harbor. Boats can be seen docked, some for fishing, others for tourists.
Akko is not well known to biblical readers but it is mentioned a couple times (Judges 1:31, Acts 21:7). The city is reminiscent of Jerusalem, having a larger, more modern city and a smaller, walled old city. The biggest difference is that Jerusalem is in the hills while Akko is on the coast. The markets of Jerusalem don’t have the extent of fresh sea food available as Akko.
While Akko is first attested in Egyptian writings as early as 1800 BC, much of the construction of the Old City is from the last 250 years. The current walls were built in 1750. Turkish baths originally constructed in 1795 and in use until 1950 are open to get an idea of this Turkish past time, taking visitors through the different rooms (without the heat). It’s reminiscent of ancient Roman baths, giving a great feel for what a bathhouse was like.
Akko was the center of administration and battles during the Crusader era. The Crusaders from Europe used Akko as their main port of entry into the Holy Land. Various constructions are still visible from then, including the Hospitaller Compound and the Templar’s Tunnel, which runs underneath the city for an unknown purpose.
