The history
Built on the coast of the Mediterranean by Herod, the king of Roman Judaea, in the 1st century BCE (~2,100 years ago).
Named after Agustus Caesar, it later became the administrative center of Roman Judaea and was the biggest port in the Roman empire.
It's built on top a Phoenician colony called Straton's Tower, named after a Sidonian ruler from the 4th century BCE (~2,300 years ago).
Prior to the arrival of Herod, the colony was under control of the Jewish Hasmonean kingdom for around 30 years (~2,000 years ago).
After the destruction of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem (~1,900 years ago), the Romans under Titus recorded that 2,500 Jews were "slaughtered in gladiatorial games."
There was a heavy Christian presence in the city during the early Christian and Byzantine eras, and other stories from the Christian New Testement mention the city.
After some decline under Byzantine rule, the Arab Muslims arrived and destroyed it in the 7th century (~1,400 years ago).
The Muslims rebuilt it in the 11th century (~1,000 years ago), then the Christian Crusaders occupied the area for a short time in the 12th century (~900 years ago), before it was again destroyed by Mamluks in 1265 CE (~750 years ago).
It was mostly abandoned until Bosnian fishermen arrived in the 19th century (~150 years ago) to start a new village in the Ottoman Empire.
The village was abandoned and destroyed during Israel's war of independence (~70 years ago).
A modern town was created nearby in 1940 (~80 years ago, during the British Mandate), which still stands to this day.
The ancient city was uncovered and excavated shortly after the creation of the State of Israel.
The archaeology
The most famous Roman ruins are the amphitheater (which holds concerts and shows to this day), the Hippodrome, a circus, a palace, multiple mosaics, marble columns and floors, a harbor, obelisk, temple, bathhouses, and aqueduct.
There are also Byzantine bathhouses and a tax office with a mosaic that says "If you obey the tax authorities, then you have nothing to fear."
You can still see a mosaic from a synagogue complex mentioned by the Roman historian Josephus Flaveus in the 1st century CE (~1,900 years ago).
The aqueduct is still standing and runs from the city for several kilometers to the north and east. It was built in 3 stages, starting with Herod and ending with the Byzantines.
There are ruins of a Crusader city built on top, including city walls, a citadel, a cathedral and a church. There's also a moat built by King Louis IX of France (~800 years ago).
The city is the only place archeological evidence has been found that mentions Pontius Pilate from the Christian New Testament.
There's a minaret of a mosque erected by the Bosnian immigrants who arrived in the 19th century (~150 years ago).
There is a beautiful bird mosaic in the area that's believed to be a courtyard from the early Byzantine era (~1,600 years ago).
Other interesting facts
There are ruins underwater that can be seen while diving as part of the country's first underwater museum.
The only golf course in Israel is here.
Here are some more photos from the city ruins and the beach.
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