Caesarea Devotional

Caesarea, also known as Caesarea Maritima, was a major Roman port city built by Herod the Great along the Mediterranean coast of Israel, between Joppa and Mount Carmel. Named in honor of Caesar Augustus, the city served as the provincial capital of Judea under Roman rule and featured grand architecture, including a theater, aqueduct, palace, and one of the largest artificial harbors in the ancient world. Its political and cultural prominence made it a key center in the New Testament era, playing a significant role in the early expansion of the gospel.

Caesarea is mentioned multiple times in the Book of Acts. It is where Cornelius, a Roman centurion, became the first Gentile convert to Christianity after receiving a vision and being visited by the apostle Peter (Acts 10). The apostle Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea for two years and gave his famous defenses before Felix, Festus, and King Agrippa (Acts 23-26) before being sent to Rome. Archaeological discoveries, including the famous “Pilate Stone”-which bears the name of Pontius Pilate-have confirmed the historical accuracy of the biblical record. For Bible students, Caesarea underscores how the gospel began to move beyond Jewish boundaries and take root in the Gentile world, fulfilling Jesus’ commission to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).