Cæsarea

CÆSAREA in Palestine, before called Strato’s Tower, and built by Herod the Great in Honour of Augustus, was situated on the eastern Coast of the Mediterranean, and had a very fine Harbour belonging to it. Josephus¹ says, it was six hundred Furlongs; that is to say, about five or six and twenty common Leagues from Jerusalem. Vespasian, after the Jewish War was ended, settled a Roman Colony in Cæsarea. Its Inhabitants were part Jews and part Greeks, or Idolaters: Hence arose those Seditions which were so frequent between these two People. Cæsarea is often spoken of in the New Testament. There it was that King Agrippa was smitten of the Lord, in neglecting Acts xii. 23.to give God the Glory, when the People were so liberal to him of their Praises. Acts x. 1. & seq. Acts xxv. 10. Acts viii. 40. Acts xxi. 10, 11.Cornelius the Centurion, who was baptized by S. Peter, lived at Cæsarea. There S. Philip the Deacon, with his four Maiden Daughters, had his Habitation. At Cæsarea the Prophet Agabus foretold to S. Paul, that he would be bound and confined by his Enemies at Jerusalem. Lastly, Acts xxiii, xxiv, xxv.the same Apostle continued two years a prisoner at Cæsarea, till he was conducted to Rome, where he had appealed to Nero’s Tribunal. Whenever there is mention of the Cities in Palestine, and Cæsarea is named without the addition of Philippi, we are always to suppose that Cæsarea to be meant, whereof we are speaking in this place.

Cæsarea Philippi, before called Paneas, is situated at the foot of Mount Panéus, near the Springs of Jordan. Its ancient name is believed to have been Dan or Lais; and it is called Paneas by the Phœnicians only.² But Eusebius distinguishes Dan from Paneas, as if they were two different places near each other.³ Cæsarea was at the distance of a day’s journey from Sidon⁴, and a day’s journey and an half from Damascus.⁵ Philip the Tetrarch built it, or at least embellished and enlarged it, and gave it the name of Cæsarea in honour of Tiberius; afterwards, in respect to Nero, it was called Neronias.⁶ The Springs from which the River Jordan proceeds, appear near Cæsarea Philippi, and pass through natural and subterraneous Channels from the Lake Phiala, which is at the distance of an hundred and twenty Furlongs, or five Leagues from this City.⁷ The Woman who was troubled with an Issue of Blood, and healed by our Saviour, is said to Mat. ix. 20. Luke viii. 43,have been of Cæsarea Philippi, and to have returned thither after her cure, and erected a Statue to her Benefactor⁸. At the foot of this Statue there grew an Herb, which had the vertue of curing several Diseases. Julian the Apostate pulled down this Figure, and set up his own in the room of it. But the Christian Inhabitants of the City took this Statue of our Saviour, and placed it with Honour in their Church, and Fire from Heaven consumed that of Julian.

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