This photo shows a tablet providing information about the history of this ancient Roman town along the Israeli coast. Originally a Phoenician town in the 3rd century B.C., it gained importance under King Herod who built the small village into a port city in the period 22 - 10 B.C., and named it in honor of Caesar Augustus. Following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the town became the capital of Palestine. The city was also important in Christianity since it was in Caesarea that St. Peter baptised the centurion (Acts 10), St. Paul was imprisoned here (Acts 23) and set sail from Caesarea for Rome (Acts 27). It became a stronghold for the Crusaders in the 1100's and 1200's.