Israel 2013 - Day 5

Israel 2013 - Day 5

A travel day. We took 8 hours to make the 2 hour bus trip from Jerusalem to Tiberius in The Galilee stopping at Caesarea Maritima (Acts 24:24), Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), The Precipice Lookout (Luke 4) and Nazereth Village (Matthew 13:55) for some amazing vistas, experiences and opportunities.

Some "quick hits" about Caesarea Maritima:

• Herod the Great built this port city as his capital in hope that it would become a world trade centre... which it did. 
• Paul was taken there under guard after being arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 23:23) 
• Paul was imprisoned there by Felix for 2 years and used his imprisonment to preach Christ (Phillipians 1:11-14)
• Caesarea was conquered and ruled successively by the Byzantines, the Muslims, the Crusaders and then the Muslims finally in 1265 AD before being abandoned till the 20th century in large measure. 
• Madonna and Rihanna (i am told) have both performed at the rebuilt and reconditioned ancient Theatre which fronts the Mediterrean coast in Caesarea. 

Perhaps most importantly at Casesarea was found the only known archaeological evidence of Pontius Pilate. A dedication stone containing his name and title - as listed in the gospels - was found at Caesarea definitively supporting the Bible's claims about his existence and place in history. Jesus truly did - as the Creed says - "suffer under Pontius Pilate".