A light rain cannot keep us away from today’s schedule. Who knows if we will ever return? So, the raincoat comes in very handy. No one wants to use umbrellas to block the views of others.
Caesarea (by the Mediterranean Sea) is part of the National Park Service and is currently being excavated, studied, and re-built. We entered a small theater to view a film about the history of the area before walking around.
In the days of Herod, this was a magnificent place of entertainment. The crowds would walk down this very path (Except probably not paved quite like it is now) to the entrance of the Hippodrome where chariot races would occur. The best seats in the house were near the entrance where the chariots would make a sharp curve and frequently wipe-out, causing brutal injuries and death. The goal was not so much as to win a race but to survive the curves.
Just before the entrance, immediately to the left, are the public toilets. Talk about PUBLIC and a COLD SEAT! It is said that the slaves would use them first to clean them and then warm the seat before their master would use them.
Here’s a little close up:
Sa’id, our guide, showed us a replica of a marker to Caesarea bearing the name of Pontias Pilate. This is the only place in archaeology that his name is mentioned.
These are the ruins of Herod’s Palace:
At the theater, workers are currently replacing the marble floor tiles.
After leaving the national park site, we drove to the Roman aqueducts. It was an amazing fete of engineering to move water into the city.
Our next stop will be Mt. Carmel.