You’d think that there’d be no surprises left in a well-trodden archaeological site like Caesarea Port, one of Israel’s most-beloved national parks. Luckily, you’d be wrong.
Extensive renovations at the ancient coastal city that were recently completed not only unearthed new archaeological finds dating back some 2,000 years, but also reconstructed huge underground vaults that serve as the site’s new visitors’ center.
The finds were revealed at the opening ceremony of Caesarea Harbor Visitors Center, which took place on May 29, in the presence of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Baroness Ariane de Rothschild, whose Edmond de Rothschild Foundation contributed some $40 million to the extensive, five-year-long renovation.
The port’s vaults were originally constructed by King Herod (74 BCE-4 CE), the king of Judea and founder of the Herodian dynasty, a vassal of the Roman Empire.
Measuring 24 feet high, 69 feet deep and 17 feet wide, the vaults were part of the storage complex at the port and served as the base for the stage of the temple Herod inaugurated in honor of his patron, the Roman Emperor Augustus. The temple was to become the heart of the city, which served as an important East-West junction in the global trade system of the period.
ISRAEL21c was founded in 2001, in the wake of the Second Intifada, to broaden public understanding of Israel beyond typical portrayals in the mainstream media.
The organization’s founders – Israeli-American technology executives – understood the great power of the Internet and developed a first-of-its kind online product with global appeal and reach.
You’d think that there’d be no surprises left in a well-trodden archaeological site like Caesarea Port, one of Israel’s most-beloved national parks. Luckily, you’d be wrong.
