Atomic Bible

Coastal city, center of Roman rule in Judea

Caesarea

Named in 15 verses of Acts, first in Acts 8:40.

ΚαισάρειαCaesarea

About Caesarea Written by AI

Caesarea was a coastal city located in Judea, approximately 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Joppa. It was built by Herod the Great between 22 and 10 BC and named in honor of Augustus Caesar. Caesarea served as the capital of the Roman province of Judea and the official residence of the Roman governors. In the New Testament, Caesarea is mentioned several times in the book of Acts. Philip the evangelist settled in Caesarea after baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch (Act.8.40). The apostle Peter visited Caesarea and preached to the Gentile centurion Cornelius, leading to his conversion (Act.10.1-48). Paul passed through Caesarea on his missionary journeys (Act.9.30; 18:22) and was later imprisoned there for two years before being sent to Rome for trial (Act.23.23-26:32). Caesarea was known for its impressive harbor, which was constructed using advanced Roman engineering techniques. The city also featured a temple dedicated to Augustus, an amphitheater, a hippodrome, and a Roman aqueduct. As a center of Roman administration and a hub for trade, Caesarea played a significant role in the early spread of Christianity and the interaction between the Jewish and Gentile believers.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

(Palestinae), a city on the shore of the Mediterranean, on the great road from Tyre to Egypt, about 70 miles northwest of Jerusalem, at the northern extremity of the plain of Sharon. It was built by Herod the Great (B.C. 10), who named it after Caesar Augustus, hence called Caesarea Sebaste (Gr. Sebastos = “Augustus”), on the site of an old town called “Strato’s Tower.” It was the capital of the Roman province of Judaea, the seat of the governors or procurators, and the headquarters of the Roman troops. It was the great Gentile city of Palestine, with a spacious artificial harbour. It was adorned with many buildings of great splendour, after the manner of the Roman cities of the West. Here Cornelius the centurion was converted through the instrumentality of Peter (Acts 10:1, 24), and thus for the first time the door of faith was opened to the Gentiles. Philip the evangelist resided here with his four daughters (21:8). From this place Saul sailed for his native Tarsus when forced to flee from Jerusalem (9:30), and here he landed when returning from his second missionary journey (18:22). He remained as a prisoner here for two years before his voyage to Rome (Acts 24:27; 25:1, 4, 6, 13). Here on a “set day,” when games were celebrated in the theatre in honour of the emperor Claudius, Herod Agrippa I. appeared among the people in great pomp, and in the midst of the idolatrous homage paid to him was suddenly smitten by an angel, and carried out a dying man. He was “eaten of worms” (12:19-23), thus perishing by the same loathsome disease as his granfather, Herod the Great. It still retains its ancient name Kaiseriyeh, but is now desolate. “The present inhabitants of the ruins are snakes, scorpions, lizards, wild boars, and jackals.” It is described as the most desolate city of all Palestine.

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

32.500, 34.892 See it on a map

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names it

  1. Acts 8:40

    But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

  2. Acts 9:30

    When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

  3. Acts 10:1

    At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.

  4. Acts 10:24

    The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

  5. Acts 11:11

    Just then three men sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying.

  6. Acts 12:19

    After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

  7. Acts 18:22

    When Paul had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church at Jerusalem. Then he went down to Antioch.

  8. Acts 21:8

    Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.

  9. Acts 21:16

    Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to stay at the home of Mnason the Cypriot, an early disciple.

  10. Acts 23:23

    Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.

  11. Acts 23:33

    When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.

  12. Acts 25:1

    Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

  13. Acts 25:4

    But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

  14. Acts 25:6

    After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in.

  15. Acts 25:13

    After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.