Ancient Caesarea

Yesterday we saw Israel’s Old Testament port, Joppa, and today we visited Caesarea—the port used in the time of Jesus and the Apostles. Caesarea enjoyed a constant flow of people with money to burn (sort of like today, I guess). The bustling seaport featured all the usual touches of Roman culture—including a vast entertainment industry for the masses that frequented the city.

In Caesarea’s ancient theater beside the Mediterranean Sea, Chuck Swindoll preached a stirring message about the Apostle Paul’s imprisonment and trial in this city. Reg Grant gave a dramatic presentation as King Agrippa I, whom history tells us God fatally struck in this same theater (Acts 12:21-23; see also Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 19.8.2).

Thankfully, all of us on the tour left the theater alive.

Wayne Stiles, Bible Teacher for Emerald Bus 2

Read a devotional about today’s sites.