29.03.2011                      23.Adar ll, 5771

Kolumne:

Sites and Insights: Caesarea’s Archeological treasures

A new column, Dr. Wayne Stiles explores the biblical sites of Israel, the significance behind them and how to make the most of a visit.

As one of the largest seaports on the eastern Mediterranean, and located along Route 2, Caesarea enjoyed a constant flow of people with money to burn. The bustling seaport featured all the usual touches of Roman culture, including a vast entertainment industry for the masses that frequented the city.
Caesarea had an immense amphitheater and hippodrome that could accommodate well over 10,000 spectators for sporting events and chariot races (think of the movie Ben Hur). Over the centuries, the ocean has battered the seaside hippodrome so much that the western portion of the complex has completely washed away. Similarly, a storm in December of 2010 did costly damage to Caesarea, a testimony to how the much of the site has crumbled into ruins over the centuries….