Caesarea Watercolor by Stephen Bornstein

Caesarea Maritima

Hebrew: קֵיסָרְיָה‎, Kesariya; 
Arabic: قيسارية‎‎, Qaysaria 
Where history meets the sea. 

This watercolor above is based on a photograph taken during a visit to Israel in December 2013. I was there for the bar mitzvah of my two younger cousins. 

While touring with their father, my cousin, we visited the ruins at Caesarea. a historic site that I had been to several times before. The history is ancient, although not in the biblical sense. At least not in the Israeli meaning of the word. 

Aerial view, looking west

Drawing of Reconstructed the Caesarea port, looking west.

Caesarea is a town in north-central Israel. Located midway between Tel Aviv and Haifa on the coastal plain near the city of Hadera.

Built in 10 B.C.E. it doesn't go back quite as far as the Hebrew Bible. Roman technology, principally Hydraulic Concrete (cement that hardens under water) and the Barrel Arch permitted the construction of impressive harbors where ever the Romans needed them. Arguably, if not for earthquakes and tsunamis (115 CE) the actual piers would still be standing. Nevertheless, the geography of the site and it's importance in the last 2000 years of history make it very interesting. This photo reminded me of the ancient walls of Jerusalem right here on the blue Mediterranean. I felt it was a worthy subject for a water color. The subtle color and textual changes in the ruin walls would make technique important element of this watercolor. 

Actual photograph

The many shades and shadows in the ruin walls made the watercolor's technique important element of this composition. Seen in the actual photograph as it appears above.

A short video looking at the site of the harbor.

Goggle Street view of site

Aerial view, looking north, amphitheater in foreground.

Aerial view, looking south, harbor in foreground.

Satellite View of Caesarea

Close up satellite View of Caesarea's habor.

The new Roman Paradigm

Hydraulic Concrete and the Barrel Arch

Here we see the Barrel Arch, Concrete and Stone. The New Roman Paradigm, that enable the creation of an empire.

This harbor was a first of its kind - a completely man-made, a deep-water, strategic commercial port, built along a straight shore-line without any existing natural protection. Even using innovative engineering and construction techniques, and probably unlimited resources, it took 12 years to realize Herod's vision. Creating Caesarea made Herod's kingdom a vital commercial link between the Roman Empire and the markets of Asia.

Roman Hydraulic Concrete construction methodology

Previous underwater investigations at Caesarea had revealed at least three different methods employed by ancient builders to allow the hydraulic concrete to set and cure in a marine environment while contained within wooden shuttering. Why the builders employed at least three variants of formwork in different locations in the harbor rather than standardizing delivery and casting protocols is unclear at this time. But this creative design is one of the most striking features of Herod’s engineering project.

Method 1

One method employed a box either formed of vertical planks pounded into the ocean floor and then supported by exterior and/or interior horizontal cross beams or by reversing this procedure and pounding the beams in first and affixing the planks to them. (Figure: Vitruvian formwork, above).

Once the wooden formwork was in place, concrete was placed within the box to set and then cure. This method was mentioned by Vitruvius, De Architectura, (c. 25 BCE) and was employed with local variations extensively throughout the Roman world.

Method 2

The second method, discovered by excavators associated with the Caesarea Ancient Harbour Exportation Project (CAHEP), employed a containment system for the concrete that featured a large double-walled hollow box (c.11x15x4m) that was constructed on shore and towed into position (Figure: Reconstruction of floating form being positioned)

Once in location, the space between the two walls was filled with mortar until the formwork sank to the bottom. Only then was it filled with concrete.

Method 3

The third method was a variant of the second. Barges built with horizontal planks linked by mortise-tenon joinery were constructed on or near shore and towed into position. We believe that they had most likely been partially filled with concrete in shallow water to reduce their freeboard and susceptibility to the winds and waves and thus facilitate their transport to the desired location. When the barges had been towed to the desired location, they were topped off with concrete until they sank to the bottom (Figure: Reconstruction of barge forms in use. Copyright C. Brandon)

Importance of water

All the Romans required was a source of water. Their entire lifestyle centered around water. With water they could construct in a few years that took other civilizations centuries. With water they could construct aqueducts, spectacular villas with fountains and  lavish baths.

Caesarea History

The town was built by Herod the Great about 25–13 BCE as the port city Caesarea Maritima. It served as an administrative center ofJudaea Province of the Roman Empire, and later the capital of the Byzantine Palaestina Prima province during the classic period. Following the Muslim conquest in the 7th century, in which it was the last city to fall to the Arabs, the city had an Arab majority until Crusader conquest. It was abandoned after the Mamluk conquest.[4]It was re-populated in 1884 by Bosniak immigrants, who settled in a small fishing village.[4] In 1940, kibbutz Sdot Yam was established next to the village. In February 1948 the village was conquered by a Palmach unit commanded by Yitzhak Rabin, its people already having fled following an attack by the Lehi. In 1952, a Jewish town of Caesarea was established near the ruins of the old city, which were made into the national park of Caesarea Maritima.

The pagan city underwent vast changes under Herod the Great, who renamed it Caesarea in honor of the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.

In 22 BCE, Herod began construction of a deep sea harbor and built storerooms, markets, wide roads, baths, temples to Rome and Augustus, and imposing public buildings.[6] Every five years the city hosted major sports competitions, gladiator games, and theatrical productions in its theatre overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Caesarea also flourished during the Byzantine period. In the 3rd century, Jewish sages exempted the city from Jewish law, or Halakha, as by this time the majority of the inhabitants were non-Jewish.[7] The city was chiefly a commercial centre relying on trade.

Caesarea Earthquakes

• 31 BCE – epicenter in the Jordan Valley, magnitude at least 7; among the largest in 2000 years. Josephus Flavius writes of 30,000 people killed (War, Chapter 19-4 Damages Emmaus and Caesarea.
• 115 CE – Yavne and Caesarea are hit by a tsunami.
• 130 CE – strong earthquakes affect among other places Caesarea, Lydda and Emmaus. Different sources give varying dates: 129 CE, 131 CE
• 306 CE – tsunami on the Levantine coast.^[3] Affects or is felt in Caesarea, Tiberias, Jerusalem.
• 363 CE – the Galilee earthquake. See also next (365 CE) earthquake. The failed attempt of the Jews to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple during the reign of Emperor Julian is connected by some to the earthquake.
• 551 CE – affects much of the Middle East, possibly largest event in the Levant (see 551 Beirut earthquake). Gush Halav is destroyed. A major tsunami sweeps the coast from Caesarea to Tripoli, Lebanon
• 881 CE – An earthquake on the Levantine coast leads to a tsunami at Acre
• 1016 CE – Jerusalem, Jaffa and the region around are affected^[2][11]
• 1063 CE – a large earthquake hits the Levantine littoral. Acre is badly damaged
• 1068 CE – ground-rupturing event in Wadi Arabah. Ramla was totally destroyed and lay abandoned for four years after losing some 15,000–25,000 inhabitants in the earthquake.
• 1170 CE – Caesarea damaged by tremor.

Caesarea Goggle Map