The lessons takes place at Caesarea, in the Plain of Sharon, on the Mediterranean.
Herod enjoyed building things that defied nature. At Caesarea, he built into the Mediterranean. He built Roman baths, hot, cold, and lukewarm. His palace had a porch that extended into the sea so visitors could visit the palace directly from a ship.
About 40 BC Herod, governor of Galilee, was appointed king of Judea by the Romans. They wanted a buffer against Parthians and Idumeans to the south. They wanted ROman culture. And they wanted the trade routes protected. But Herod lacked a major sea port, which was needed to facilitate the entry of Roman soldiers, as well as trade. And so he built Caesarea.
He built a 4,000-seat amphitheater, running water, and a sewage system. The city even rivaled Rome in its beauty and “modernity.” The seaport was the largest in the world.
The city held the palace of the regional governor — Pontius Pilate at the time of Jesus.
Because of the port, many of Paul’s missionary journeys began at Caesarea. When Paul traveled back to Palestine, he arrived in Caesarea, where he was tried and later appealed to Caesar. Thus Caesarea was in many ways the beginning and end of Paul’s career.
The port of Caesarea was thus an important part of the sending the gospel to the Gentile world.
In 64 AD there was a riot in Caesarea, in which the Gentiles killed many innocent Jews. This led to the Jewish revolt, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the end to the temple sacrificial system. Roman armies destroyed Caesarea, to remove the memory of the glory of Judea under Herod.
Herod built for Herod. And therefore his construction could not last. All that he built is now in ruins. He is mainly remembered for slaughtering babies.
A little to the east, David took a sling and killed Goliath — and David will be remembered forever, because he did what he did so the world would know that Yahweh is God.
The question for us is: who will we live for? If we live for God, we’ll participate in God’s mission in a way that will last forever.
