And when he [Herod] observed that there was a city by the seaside that was much decayed (its name was Strato’s Tower) but that the place, by the happiness of its situation, was capable of great improvements from his liberality, he rebuilt it all with white stone, and adorned it with several most splendid palaces, wherein he especially demonstrated his magnanimity.
Josephus, The War of the Jews 1:408
Our third and last ancient seaport is the one commonly visited by tourists: Caesarea. If you’ve ever been there, it’s easy to understand why it’s a common tourist stop: it’s a very large site with a lot to see and experience.
Herod the Great, after being made king over Israel by Rome, needed a port to connect him to the wider Mediterranean world. Unfortunately, all the natural ports in Israel were small. He chose a spot on the relatively flat coastline and instructed his engineers to construct a port there. He named it after Caesar. Unlike the cities he built for his Jewish subjects, this city had all the trappings of a major Greco-Roman city. It was a city worthy of Caesar.
In order to create a large enough harbor, he had concrete imported from Italy that he poured into the sea. Its amazing properties allowed it to harden underwater. Herod created one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean.
But the harbor was not all. The city was carefully planned with all the luxuries he desired. He built a palace extending into the sea with a freshwater swimming pool inside it. He built an aqueduct to carry freshwater. There was a theater, a Roman bath, and a stadium. Herod was be happy to have tourists visit and be enamored over what he accomplished.
The history of Caesarea didn’t end with Herod. It became the capital of the region for 600 years until the Muslim period. The Crusaders rebuilt the city, but after that it was destroyed and left in ruins.
Herod showed his greatest and dedicated the city to the one he served: Caesar. When people look at you, what do they see? Who is your life dedicated to?