King Herod was a magnificent builder, and the Roman seaport of Caesarea is a testimony to the greatness of how he took the small town of Straton's Tower and turned it into the headquarters of Northern Palestine. 

This is where Peter baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius, the first gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10). It was from this port that Paul set sail to preach in communities all over the Mediterranean, and where he was later imprisoned for two years and made his powerful speech before Felix, Festus, and King Agrippa (Acts 25:6-12).

This Mediterranean site has much adventure to offer. You can start at the monumental seacoast theater and imagine drama of the finest Roman quality. The theater was so well engineered that it still remains a mystery how it was done without modern technology, you can speak in a normal tone from the center of the theater and thousands sitting in the theater can hear you clearly.

At the sea palace of Pontius Pilate there is a stone-encrypted remembrance to the Roman ruler who the New Testament mentions as sentencing Jesus to crucifixion. Along the beautiful beach is a large hippodrome where you can learn about Roman horse races with impressive frescos along the walls. This hippodrome was also an amphitheatre where history records that both Christians and Jews were fed to the lions. A Roman administrative center, bathhouse, and even public toilet facility are clearly distinguishable among the remains. A great Crusader moat and fortress stands out, which was built by King Baldwin I.

One of the most impressive aspects of Caesarea is the port built by King Herod he called "Sebastos" which can be partly seen today. The Sebastos port was the largest seaport on the eastern Mediterranean and was built with volcanic ash called pozzolana, which kept the breakwater from floating. Aqueducts can be seen along Caesarea's shore that led water from nearby Tananim stream and Shuni spring to the city. Caesarea is also a site containing much ante-Nicean Christian history. The remains of a martyrium church built over an earlier Roman pagan temple can be seen in Caesarea's main promenade. Christianity's largest library once stood in Caesarea from which church fathers such as Jerome used to uphold their theological works. Eusebius is also an important figure during the rule of Constantine who was the bishop of Caesarea.

A well-designed array of shops and some of the nicest restaurants in Israel alongside the archeological remains makes this a must see. The museum offers a visual presentation and brings all the stones to life. Make sure that you are still in the vicinity when the sun sets on the Mediterranean Sea; it’s truly a marvel. The well-populated town of Caesarea is an upper class community with modern custom homes. The area is a popular vacation spot and has a good selection of villas and hotels. If you love golf, spend the day at one of Israel’s nicest golf courses in this amazing place.