3. Coastal Plain

1  Ashkelon

2  Caesarea Maritima

3  Haifa

4  Jaffa (ancient Joppa)

As the name suggests, the coastal plain is the sloping plain that extends along the full length of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, interrupted only by the so-called antelope’s nose of Mount Carmel. In contrast to the mountains to the east, this is a gently rolling landscape that travels well, farms well, and invades easily. Although the coastal plain enjoys some of the best real estate in the region, the Israelites rarely inhabited it and almost never controlled it. Consequently, you will find very few Bible events and very little of the Bible’s communication linked to the coastal plain.

Ashkelon

Ashkelon was an ancient harbor and trading center that enjoyed ready access to fresh water and agricultural fields. A variety of peoples exploited this port city that was a bridge between overland trade routes and maritime shipping, including the Canaanites living here at the time of Abraham’s family, Egyptians at the time of Joshua, Philistines at the time of David, the Romans, and the Crusaders.

Ashkelon lacked natural defenses, so the Canaanites built a substantial rampart (a massive earthen berm) around their 150-acre city, one of the largest in this region. (Compare that to the average Israelite town, which was a mere seven acres in size.) To gain an appreciation for the city defenses, stop at the Canaanite Gate parking area on the north side of the park. Here you will see the largest surviving section of the Canaanite defensive rampart that stood between attacker and city. Imagine the challenge faced by an attacking soldier who had to run up this fifty-foot-high rampart while facing attack from above. During peacetime, access to the city through the rampart was via a gatehouse. The weight of the material above the entry would have collapsed the doorway if it had been built using a more conventional rectangular shape. Instead, the force lines of the heavy superstructure were redirected around the entry using a series of arches made of stone and sun-dried mud bricks. Thanks to the conservation efforts of archaeologists, you are able to walk through this reconstructed gatehouse, one of the oldest arched gates in the world. It dates to approximately 1850 BC.

Ashkelon almost always belonged to someone other than Israel during Bible times (Josh. 13:3; 2 Sam. 1:20). From 1200 to 600 BC (the time of the judges through the time of the divided kingdom) it belonged to the Philistines. That makes this a good place to think about their influence on Bible history and grow in appreciation for their power. This Aegean people brought advanced metal-working skills and weaponry with them when they migrated to this region. As a result, they displaced the local Canaanites as the ruling elite. Their presence constantly menaced Israel. In response, the elders of Israel demanded that Samuel appoint a king to rule over them (1 Sam. 8:4). Both Saul and David, the first two kings appointed by Samuel, regularly battled the Philistines as they sought to establish a successful monarchy in Israel. Watch for their mention in the Bible, particularly in regard to the power they projected from their five city-states, including Ashkelon (1 Sam. 5:1; 7:7; 13:16–18; 17:4; 2 Sam. 5:17–18). The Philistines were no ordinary opponent. So when the Lord gave Israel victory over them, it was a big deal. That reality forms part of the backstory to the well-known events of 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath. During his subsequent rule, David restricted the influence of the Philistines but did not deal them a final blow. That came at the hands of the Babylonian Empire just as Jeremiah 47 announced.

INFORMATION on the beachfront of the Mediterranean Sea just southwest of the modern city of Ashkelon; 

Caesarea Maritima

Herod the Great loved the art and culture of Europe. So this Middle Eastern king needed a seaport to connect him with Rome and its luxury goods. Caesarea on the sea was his answer. Herod built this 165-acre city, flush with imported architecture and building materials, between 22 and 10 BC. What is more, Herod designed this city to have a thoroughly European look and feel. To be in first-century Caesarea was like being in Rome, even though you never left the Middle East. Caesarea National Park preserves the essential elements of this Herodian city as well as Byzantine and Crusader architecture that followed.

Start your visit on the south side of the archaeological park where you can enter the reconstructed four-thousand-seat theater. The location of the theater, its general design, and components like the marble paving stones in the orchestra floor are original. Realize that a theater like this was essential for making Caesarea a truly Roman city. The theater in a Roman city was not just an entertainment venue but also an instrument for communicating the beliefs and ideals of Greco-Roman culture. It had as much influence on its citizens’ worldview as the imperial temple that Herod dedicated to his patron, Caesarea Augustus, built just above the harbor.

To the north of the theater on the seashore, you can walk through the footprint of Herod’s palace. This was a multistory residence that Herod used for entertaining his guests. The design plan included a garden courtyard surrounded on all sides by a continuous porch lined with columns. Guest rooms lay just beyond the porch. To the west, guests could enjoy an ornate swimming pool and accompanying patio. When Herod died, Rome began to rule Israel with European governors, men like Pontius Pilate who used this city as the regional seat of government. Pilate, Felix, and Festus all called this palace home. While they spent time in Jerusalem as necessary, they lived in Caesarea, which had the amenities and feel of their European homeland.

A few more steps north will bring you to Herod’s hippodrome. This was the venue for an ancient form of NASCAR racing that involved horse-drawn chariots pulled at breakneck speeds around an oval track. Sadly, this was also the setting for the execution of many who took part in the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (AD 66–70). In the second century AD, the hippodrome was moved and the complex refashioned to form an enclosed amphitheater in which art and sport were celebrated, sport that included gladiatorial events.

The crowning architectural achievement of this city was its deep-water harbor. You will find its remains north of the hippodrome. The ancient harbor included not only the area of the modern harbor but also the green lawn near the ancient arched warehouses. The arrogance of Herod is clearly laid bare in this project. He was determined to build this harbor in a location known for its dangerous shoals, requiring a complete reconfiguring of the natural landscape. He established breakwaters (one 1,800 feet long and the other 600 feet long) to define the inner harbor and then dredged the seafloor to allow larger ships access to this artificial bay. The foundation of these breakwaters employed hydraulic cement (cement that hardens under water). This engineering innovation had never been used to the extent that it was here. One of the ingredients for this cement was pozzolana, volcanic ash found in Italy. In order to complete the project, Herod imported forty-four shiploads of this ash at four hundred tons per ship. When it was finished, Caesarea Maritima boasted a harbor more than twenty-five acres in size, the second largest in the ancient Roman world. In AD 130 a devastating earthquake dropped the seafloor in this area, taking all evidence of this first-century harbor below the waves. Study of the ancient harbor continues with archaeologists who use scuba gear to study its underwater remains.

The substantial city that grew up around this harbor faced another major challenge. There was insufficient freshwater here to meet the needs of its population. As a result, Herod constructed a water delivery system that brought water thirteen miles from the base of Mount Carmel to the city, half of that distance in channels and the other half on a raised aqueduct. The sea has taken its toll on this water delivery system, washing most of it away, but you can visit a surviving segment just north of the archaeological park. After exiting the Crusader gate on the north side of the park where the Crusader era wall and moat are most evident, follow the signs guiding you on the short drive north to the sandy beach.

Both Peter and Paul spent time in Caesarea Maritima, fifty-four miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was a place that changed them both in fundamental ways. Through a series of visions, the Lord called Peter to leave the more Jewish seaport of Joppa for Caesarea Maritima in order to speak to gentiles about Jesus. This was a big step for a Jewish man who saw gentiles as unclean. How much worse that Cornelius was a representative of the occupying Roman army! This was a cultural obstacle that the early church needed to cross. In gentile Caesarea the Lord showed Peter that everyone, even someone like Cornelius, was eligible for kingdom membership. These gentiles received the Holy Spirit and were baptized just like the Jewish believers in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 10:1–48). This gentile Pentecost was something Peter could not keep to himself. He quickly traveled to Jerusalem and told the Jewish-Christian church that a gentile Christian church was alive in Caesarea Maritima. In the end, this Caesarea story changed the church. After hearing it, Jewish believers in Jerusalem concluded, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18).

Caesarea Maritima changed Paul too. He embarked from this seaport on his journey to Rome, but only after the Lord allowed him to remain in detention here for two years (Acts 23:31–33; 24:27). If you are puzzled by the delay, consider what Caesarea had to offer Paul. He knew the Jewish way of life and the Jewish faith. But if he were going to travel to Rome and advocate for Jesus in that European setting, Paul had to come to a better understanding of how Europeans thought and did their politics. Caesarea Maritima was Rome away from Rome. There was no better place for Paul to get to know Europe while still in the Middle East. So the Lord kept him in this setting for two years and enhanced his understanding of the Roman world. Then, when the time was right, Paul made his emboldened plea to be heard before the emperor (Acts 25:1–12). Caesarea then provided him with one last thing, the harbor from which he could set sail for Rome.

INFORMATION on the Mediterranean Sea coast near modern Caesarea; 

Haifa and Israel’s Ancient Maritime Culture

Haifa hosts the main seaport of the modern state of Israel. If you are interested in ancient maritime culture, two museums in the museum-rich city of Haifa beg for your attention: the Hecht Museum and the National Maritime Museum.

Hecht Museum

The curator of the Hecht Museum has organized artifacts like coins, seals, and oil lamps chronologically from the time of Abram through the Byzantine era. However, the display you may find most interesting is titled “The Phoenicians on the Northern Coast of Israel in the Biblical Period.” Phoenicia, Israel’s neighbor to the north, enjoyed natural deep-water seaports and timber resources that favored the development of a ship-building and maritime-trading culture. These advantages gave the Phoenicians something special to offer ancient Israel in exchange for what Israel could offer, agricultural products. This exchange of food for maritime expertise took place during the rules of David, Solomon, and Ahab. For example, Hiram, king of Tyre, built Solomon’s navy and provided lessons in maritime commerce (1 Kings 9:26–28; 10:22; 2 Chron. 8:18).

INFORMATION on the campus of Haifa University; 

The Greeks who came to the promised land during the time between the Old and New Testaments also had a maritime culture. The museum has one of their ships called the Ma’agan Mikhael Ancient Ship. This display presents a 2,400-year-old Greek merchant ship and a portion of its cargo.

National Maritime Museum

This museum has a seven-thousand-item collection dedicated to the history of shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. That allows for a quite complete presentation of the harbors, shipbuilding, and maritime commerce on the Mediterranean Sea. The displays include maritime mythology, old merchant maps, models of ships, navigation equipment, and the remains of sunken vessels.

INFORMATION at the base of Mount Carmel near the northern beaches of Haifa; 

Jaffa (Ancient Joppa)

Israel’s Old Testament seaport was Joppa. You can visit its modern location in today’s Jaffa. Jaffa is hard to separate from the urban sprawl of modern Tel Aviv. Modern Jaffa is a seaside resort filled with restaurants, art galleries, and parks that host evening concerts. Behind the modern façade is one of the oldest functioning harbors in the world, although the sights, sounds, and smells of this working-class port in the first century would have been very different from those you will find in the relaxed atmosphere of the harbor today. The bobbing fishing boats offer the only hint to the way this natural harbor might have felt and appeared when it bustled with activity.

This is the area of Solomon’s seaport on the Mediterranean Sea. As he planned for the substantial building projects in Jerusalem, including the temple, Solomon needed access to many board feet of quality building material that was not locally available. This kind of timber was available in the Lebanon Mountains within Phoenicia, Israel’s neighbor to the north. Consequently, Solomon made arrangements with the Phoenician king, Hiram of Tyre, to harvest and float massive log rafts south on the Mediterranean Sea from Phoenicia. Once they arrived at the seaport of Joppa, workers broke down those log rafts and dragged the timber to Jerusalem (2 Chron. 2:16). Ezra made similar arrangements when he secured building materials for construction of the second temple (Ezra 3:7). The reluctant prophet Jonah used this seaport as well. He was thinking not about importing timber but about exporting himself on a ship bound for Tarshish, as far from his assigned mission station in Nineveh as he could get (Jon. 1:3). In the New Testament, Joppa witnessed a miracle performed by Peter as he raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36–43).

INFORMATION the modern port and parks are adjacent to Nemal Yafo Street;