The recent storm in the eastern Mediterranean caused damage to the breakwater at Caesarea and led Israeli authorities to temporarily close the Caesarea National Park. Haaretz reports here.
The head of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Shuka Dorfman, yesterday toured Caesarea National Park to take stock of the damage to the antiquities by last weekend’s storm.
Calling the damage “a national disaster,” Dorfman noted that the breakwater, which was broken in three areas by high waves during the storm, now leaves the antiquities exposed to damage from any future high waves.
Dorfman expressed concern that the storm expected this weekend could further damage the antiquities.
“The damage from the storm is huge all along the coast, from Ashkelon in the south the Acre in the north,” Dorfman said adding that if the situation is not remedied immediately through extensive conservation efforts, erosion of the cliff along the beach would continue until it collapses, leading to “the destruction of many ancient cultural treasures of Israel.”
A year ago I wrote about a stormy day at Caesarea Maritima here. I think you might enjoy the photos there. Here is a new one.
High waves at Caesarea Maritima - December 12, 2009 - Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Caesarea Maritima was a first century Roman capital and seaport. The gospel was first preached to the Gentiles here when Peter came from Joppa to Caesarea to tell Cornelius words by which he could be saved (Acts 10, 11).
Herod the Great built a city on the site of Strato’s Tower and named it Caesarea in honor of Caesar Augustus. It became a center of Roman provincial government in Judea. The city had a harbor and was located on the main caravan route between Tyre and Egypt. This city is called Caesarea Maritima (on the sea) to distinguish it from Caesarea Philippi.
The Apostle Paul used the harbor at Caesarea several times. He was imprisoned here for two years before departing for Rome (Acts 24:27; 27:1).
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