Caesarea Maritima is often the very first site the visitors to the land of Israel will set their eyes on. It is such a rich site, both visually, and in terms of the archeological findings and Biblical significance. It is located on the coastal plain, on the Western border of the land of Israel, just above Netanya. One of the first lessons that can be extracted from this site, and arguably the most important one is that The Word of God is true, accurate and perfect. It is worthy of our TRUST. We can base our earthly lives upon it, and entrust our eternal destiny to the truths therein. This understanding forms the basis for the journey that we will take together around the beautiful land of Israel. The Holy Bible is an historical, geographic, and scientific document. If we cannot trust these more basic elements, how can we trust it for our salvation, or for those verses and chapters that speak of things yet to come?
There are many people who believe that the Word of God is a book of mythology and that the people written about were not historical figures. The Land of Israel can help us to see the lack of truth in this assumption, as almost every place where we set our feet, we can enter into a kind of time machine that sometimes takes us back to the time of ישוע, sometimes to the time of King David, and occasionally even takes us back to the time of our forefather Abraham. As archaeologists dig to uncover the ancient past of this land, we begin to discover that oftentimes even the tiny details in the Bible can be verified. One beautiful example of this at Caesarea is known as the Pilate inscription as depicted below and as displayed in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. It was found face down in the area of the Herodian Theater of Caesarea.
The inscription says: “To the Divine Augusti (this) Tiberieum……Pontius Pilate…….prefect of Judea……has dedicated (this) Seeking to please the Emporer, Caesar Augustis.” This shows that Pontius Pilate was the prefect of Judea, just as Luke 3 v 1 mentions. The fact that Tiberius is mentioned is also significant as he was the reigning emperor when Pilate was governor, Caesar Augustus reigning until 14 AD.
There have been other artifacts found that connect us to Pilate, for example a ring found at Herodian, the burial place of King Herod the Great. According to recent findings, it is also understood that Pilate actually built the pilgrimage route from the Pool of Shiloach (Siloam) up to the Temple Mount! The majority of the coins found under this road date to the reign of Pilate. For further reading please click on this recent article: ‘Pontius Pilate built Pilgrim’s Road in Jerusalem’
Revelation 19 v 13 says: He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. It is very significant that in this description of ישוע/Jesus coming with the armies of heaven, that He goes into battle as the Word of God. It is deeply disturbing that in the days in which we are living, a certain bible translation has been bought by the publishers of the Satanic “bible” and that other translations are seeking to change wording with regard to the Nation of Israel. Truly a battle is raging. It is crucial that we are convinced that the Word of God is true, and that we do not allow it to be watered down or changed. This conviction may cost us everything, even our very lives, as it is costing the lives of previous brothers and sisters in Nigeria, Egypt, Syria and other nations in the Middle East. Revelation 6 speaks of those slaughtered for the sake of the Word of God in verse 9, and in verse 11 implies that there is a set number that must be completed. Revelation 12 v 11 says: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives even unto the death.” Dear friends, may our hearts stand resolved that no matter the earthly cost, He as the living Word is worthy of our all, even our very lives.
