Caesarea: Why was Caesarea built?
Herod built the Seaport at Caesarea for a number of different reasons.
- He needed a port on the Mediterranean because existing ones were outside his kingdom or hostile to him.
- He recognized Caesarea's strategic location along the Via Maris, the trade route between Rome and regions like Persia, Babylonia, the Orient, and the Arabian Peninsula.
- Herod needed a vast source of revenue to fund his great building projects, such as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, as well as his palaces at Masada and Jericho.
- Herod also wanted to expand his influence, both to create favor with Rome, and to bring Roman culture and military support to Judea. He wanted to demonstrate his greatness as well.
- Lastly, Herod needed to create a buffer zone to keep the Parfians and Idumeans out of the Roman Empire.
