Day 16: Caesarea, Mt Carmel, Haifa and Tiberius

After nine nights in Jerusalem, we read from Psalm 122 and prayed for the peace of Jerusalem, as we headed north to Galilee, via the Mediterranean coastal city of Caesarea Maritima. Built by Herod the Great in the first century BC as a showpiece, it served as a grand entry point into his kingdom, replete with upper and lower palace including freshwater and salt water pools, amphitheatre, hippodrome, and the first ever artificial harbour in the world. 

After the death of Herod the Great, Caesarea became the administrative centre for the Roman Province of Judea, where Pontius Pilate was based during his governorship from 26-36AD. For a time, it was believed by some that the biblical Pilate was a fiction, but a recent archaeological discovery of the "Pilate Stone" in Caesarea proves his existence and corroborates the Gospel accounts.

It is likely that the amphitheatre was the location of the death of Herod Agrippa I described in Acts 12:20-23. Caesarea was also the home of Philip, one of the seven deacons (Acts 6), and Cornelius, perhaps the first Gentile convert to Christianity, and the scene of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers (Acts10). The Apostle Paul was imprisoned in the palace at Cesarea for two years, and his trial before Felix and Festus also took place in the palace at Caesarea, from where he appealed to Caesar, and from where he departed on his sea voyage to Rome (Acts 24-26). On the foreshore, we saw a sarcophagus that bore a name and identified the individual as a Christian deacon in the local church, presumably a successor to Philip and evidence of the fact that a strong Gentile Church sprang up here.

Our next stop was Mt. Carmel, the scene of Elijah's showdown with the prophets of Baal. We read from 1 Kings 18:18ff. A Carmelite monastery marks the site and has an altar made of 12 stones similar to the altar Elijah built. From the roof of the monastery we took in a panoramic view of the Jezreel Valley, which is the biblical Armageddon of Revelation 16:16.

We stopped in a Druze village for lunch, Druze being a sect of Islam that is identified by distinct dress and appearance of the men in particular. Then on to Stella Maris, reputed to be the location where Elijah sheltered in a cave from the prophets of Baal. The monastery there contained a beautiful stained glass window depicting Elijah being taken up into Heaven in a chariot of fire.

There were several opportunities to stop and take in the breathtaking view over Haifa harbour and city then on to Tiberius and to our hotel for the next 5 nights, the Kibbutz Nof Ginosar, right on the waters edge at the Sea of Galilee. We all are thankful to be in this beautiful location, which in many ways is largely as it was when Jesus ministered here. 

By Phil and Lavena

Photos: Remains of one of Herod's pools at Caesaria; The Hippodrome; Pontius Pilate stone; Plaque with explanation; Statue of Elijah on Mt Carmel; Inside Chapel on Mt Carmel; Valley of Jezreel; Cave in the church of Stella Maris; View over Haifa.