Restaurant prices in Caesarea are as high as the Crusader walls. Establishments
within the ruins (right at the harbor), such as Herod's Kosher Restaurant О (« 636 11
03) and Charley's Restaurant О , offer great views but mostly standard
fare at outrageous prices (schnitzel, shislik, kebab go for NIS40-55). The Sdot Yam
Cafeteria in the kibbutz offers a taste of kibbutz life and kibbutz
food like ktsitsot, salads, and mashed potatoes. All-you-can-eat breakfast buffet
(NIS23, 7-10am), lunch (NIS38, noon-3pm), and dinner (NIS23,6:30-8:30pm). Stock
up on picnic supplies like fresh produce and other staples at Sdot Yam's mini-mar-
ket Markol in the lower level of the dining hall building. Open Su, Tu,
and Th llam-lpm and 4-6pm, M and W llam-lpm. Non-kibbutzniks pay 20% more, cash only.
Pjg SIGHTS____
the ancient city
Caesarea's main sights are the Roman city, ancient port, and large Crusader tor-
tress. A map (NIS10) sold at the three entrances to the Caesarea National Park pro-
vides a good history of Caesarea, and a well-illustrated booklet (NIS17, includes
map) explains each well-labeled site. (Park open Su-Th 8am-5pm, F8am-4pm; in winter Su-
Th 8arjr4pm, F8am-3pm. NIS18, students NIS15. Hold onto your ticket stub!)
The numbers below that follow the sight names correspond to the numbers on
the Caesarea map. As they are ordered, the sights forms a large, rough loop around
the park that should take roughly three hours. Visitors seeking the abridged ver-
sion might want to skip the aqueducts, promenade and Hippodrome.
ROMAN THEATER (1). Constructed by Herod, the theater was designed to bring
Hellenistic culture to the city. Though reconstructed numerous times in the first
few centuries, remains from Herod's period are still evident, such as the drainage
system, the spectators' seats (cavea), and the multi-storied wall behind the stage
(scaenafrons). The marble floor, on the other hand, covers the original plaster
floor designed to look like marble. In the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, Caesarea's elite
flooded the orchestra with water using an intricate series of canals and aqueducts
for mock battles and games; but by the 6th century CE, the tomfoolery got out of
hand and the town's religious rulers turned the theatre into a fortress. Restored
and reopened in 1961, this 4000-seat structure has hosted Eric Clapton, the
Bolshoi Ballet, Joan Baez, and Julio Iglesias (concert schedule The
New Israeli Opera performs regularly throughout the summer (Opera ticket office
The theater is at the southernmost edge of the park, 500m to the left as you
face the parking lot from the road from the entrance to the Roman city).
PROMONTORY PALACE (2). The verdict is still not out on this mysterious struc-
ture carved into rock and jutting out into the sea. Although it was not originally
believed to be an ornamental fish pond, excavations of four more rooms once dec-
orated with mosaic floors and Herodian-era pottery indicate it may have been the
palace of Herod, where he and the town's governors' lived. If this theory and the
writings of Josephus Flavius are true, then the Jews of Jerusalem lay here for five
days and nights begging Pontius Pilate to remove the images of Caesar he had
placed on the Temple Mount.
HEROD'S AMPHITHEATER (3). Adjacent to the Promontory Palace lie the
remains of Herod's Amphitheater. Herod originally built this 15,000 sq. meter,
15,000-seat complex as a hippodrome for chariot races and sporting events.
According to Josephus, this is where Pontius Pilate announced that images of Cae-
sar be placed on the Temple Mount, despite protest of the Jews lying on his front
lawn (i.e. Promontory Palace) in protest He ordered his soldiers to slaughter any
Jews who refused his command. When the Jews submitted to impending execu-
tion instead of rioting in defiance, Pilate, overcome by their self-sacrifice, sanc-
tioned the removal of the images.