the name which Hiram, king of Tyre, gave to the twenty cities in
the land of Galilee, of which Solomon made him a present, in
acknowledgment for the great services in building the temple, 1 Kings
ix, 31. These cities not being agreeable to Hiram, on viewing them, he
called them the land of Cabul, which in the Hebrew tongue denotes
_displeasing_; others take it to signify _binding_ or _adhesive_, from
the clayey nature of the soil.
CÆSAR, a title borne by all the Roman emperors till the destruction of
the empire. It took its rise from the surname of the first emperor,
Caius Julius Cæsar; and this title, by a decree of the senate, all the
succeeding emperors were to bear. In Scripture, the reigning emperor is
generally mentioned by the name of Cæsar, without expressing any other
distinction: so in Matt. xxii, 21, “Render unto Cæsar,” &c, Tiberias is
meant; and in Acts xxv, 10, “I appeal unto Cæsar,” Nero is intended.
CÆSAREA, a city and port of Palestine, built by Herod the Great, and
thus called in honour of Augustus Cæsar. It was on the site of the tower
of Strato. This city, which was six hundred furlongs from Jerusalem, is
often mentioned in the New Testament. Here it was that Herod Agrippa was
smitten of the Lord for not giving God the glory, when the people were
so extravagant in his praise. Cornelius the centurion, who was baptized
by St. Peter, resided here, Acts x, 1, &c; and also Philip the deacon,
with his four maiden daughters. At Cæsarea the Prophet Agabus foretold
that Paul would be bound and persecuted at Jerusalem. Lastly, the
Apostle himself continued two years a prisoner at Cæsarea, till he was
conducted to Rome. When Judea was reduced to the state of a Roman
province, Cæsarea became the stated residence of the proconsul, which
accounts for the circumstance of Paul being carried thither from
Jerusalem, to defend himself.
Dr. E. D. Clarke’s remarks upon this once celebrated city will be read
with interest: “On the 15th of July, 1801, we embarked, after sunset,
for Acre, to avail ourselves of the land wind, which blows during the
night, at this season of the year. By day break, the next morning, we
were off the coast of Cæsarea; and so near with the land that we could
very distinctly perceive the appearance of its numerous and extensive
ruins. The remains of this city, although still considerable, have long
been resorted to as a quarry, whenever building materials are required
at Acre. Djezzar Pacha brought from hence the columns of rare and
beautiful marble, as well as the other ornaments of his palace, bath,
fountain, and mosque at Acre. The place at present is inhabited only by
jackals and beasts of prey. As we were becalmed during the night, we
heard the cries of these animals until day break. Pococke mentions the
curious fact of the former existence of crocodiles in the river of
Cæsarea. Perhaps there has not been in the history of the world an
example of any city, that in so short a space of time rose to such an
extraordinary height of splendour as did this of Cæsarea; or that
exhibits a more awful contrast to its former magnificence, by the
present desolate appearance of its ruins. Not a single inhabitant
remains. Its theatres, once resounding with the shouts of multitudes,
echo no other sound than the nightly cries of animals roaming for their
prey. Of its gorgeous palaces and temples, enriched with the choicest
works of art, and decorated with the most precious marbles, scarcely a
trace can be discerned. Within the space of ten years after laying the
foundation, from an obscure fortress, it became the most celebrated and
flourishing city of all Syria. It was named Cæsarea by Herod, in honour
of Augustus, and dedicated by him to that emperor, in the twenty-eighth
year of his reign. Upon this occasion, that the ceremony might be
rendered illustrious, by a degree of profusion unknown in any former
instance, Herod assembled the most skilful musicians, wrestlers, and
gladiators from all parts of the world. This solemnity was to be renewed
every fifth year. But, as we viewed the ruins of this memorable city,
every other circumstance respecting its history was absorbed in the
consideration that we were actually beholding the very spot where the
scholar of Tarsus, after two years’ imprisonment, made that eloquent
appeal, in the audience of the king of Judea, which must ever be
remembered with piety and delight. In the history of the actions of the
holy Apostles, whether we regard the internal evidence of the narrative,
or the interest excited by a story so wonderfully appalling to our
passions and affections, there is nothing that we call to mind with
fuller emotions of sublimity and satisfaction. ‘In the demonstration of
the Spirit and of power,’ the mighty advocate for the Christian faith
had before ‘reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to
come,’ till the Roman governor, Felix, trembled as he spoke. Not all the
oratory of Tertullus; not the clamour of his numerous adversaries; not
even the countenance of the most profligate of tyrants availed against
the firmness and intrepidity of the oracle of God. The judge had
trembled before his prisoner; and now a second occasion offered, in
which, for the admiration and the triumph of the Christian world, one of
the bitterest persecutors of the name of Christ, and a Jew, appeals, in
the public tribunal of a large and populous city, to all its chiefs and
its rulers, its governor and its king, for the truth of his conversion
founded on the highest evidence.”
CÆSAREA PHILIPPI was first called Laish or Leshem, Judg. xviii, 7. After
it was subdued by the Danites, Judg. v, 29, it received the name of Dan;
and is by Heathen writers called Paneas. Philip, the youngest son of
Herod the Great, made it the capital of his tetrarchy, enlarged and
embellished it, and gave it the name of Cæsarea Philippi. It was
situated at the foot of Mount Hermon, near the head of the Jordan; and
was about fifty miles from Damascus, and thirty from Tyre. Our Saviour
visited and taught in this place, and healed one who was possessed of an
evil spirit: here also he gave the memorable rebuke to Peter, Mark viii.
the land of Galilee, of which Solomon made him a present, in
acknowledgment for the great services in building the temple, 1 Kings
ix, 31. These cities not being agreeable to Hiram, on viewing them, he
called them the land of Cabul, which in the Hebrew tongue denotes
_displeasing_; others take it to signify _binding_ or _adhesive_, from
the clayey nature of the soil.
CÆSAR, a title borne by all the Roman emperors till the destruction of
the empire. It took its rise from the surname of the first emperor,
Caius Julius Cæsar; and this title, by a decree of the senate, all the
succeeding emperors were to bear. In Scripture, the reigning emperor is
generally mentioned by the name of Cæsar, without expressing any other
distinction: so in Matt. xxii, 21, “Render unto Cæsar,” &c, Tiberias is
meant; and in Acts xxv, 10, “I appeal unto Cæsar,” Nero is intended.
CÆSAREA, a city and port of Palestine, built by Herod the Great, and
thus called in honour of Augustus Cæsar. It was on the site of the tower
of Strato. This city, which was six hundred furlongs from Jerusalem, is
often mentioned in the New Testament. Here it was that Herod Agrippa was
smitten of the Lord for not giving God the glory, when the people were
so extravagant in his praise. Cornelius the centurion, who was baptized
by St. Peter, resided here, Acts x, 1, &c; and also Philip the deacon,
with his four maiden daughters. At Cæsarea the Prophet Agabus foretold
that Paul would be bound and persecuted at Jerusalem. Lastly, the
Apostle himself continued two years a prisoner at Cæsarea, till he was
conducted to Rome. When Judea was reduced to the state of a Roman
province, Cæsarea became the stated residence of the proconsul, which
accounts for the circumstance of Paul being carried thither from
Jerusalem, to defend himself.
Dr. E. D. Clarke’s remarks upon this once celebrated city will be read
with interest: “On the 15th of July, 1801, we embarked, after sunset,
for Acre, to avail ourselves of the land wind, which blows during the
night, at this season of the year. By day break, the next morning, we
were off the coast of Cæsarea; and so near with the land that we could
very distinctly perceive the appearance of its numerous and extensive
ruins. The remains of this city, although still considerable, have long
been resorted to as a quarry, whenever building materials are required
at Acre. Djezzar Pacha brought from hence the columns of rare and
beautiful marble, as well as the other ornaments of his palace, bath,
fountain, and mosque at Acre. The place at present is inhabited only by
jackals and beasts of prey. As we were becalmed during the night, we
heard the cries of these animals until day break. Pococke mentions the
curious fact of the former existence of crocodiles in the river of
Cæsarea. Perhaps there has not been in the history of the world an
example of any city, that in so short a space of time rose to such an
extraordinary height of splendour as did this of Cæsarea; or that
exhibits a more awful contrast to its former magnificence, by the
present desolate appearance of its ruins. Not a single inhabitant
remains. Its theatres, once resounding with the shouts of multitudes,
echo no other sound than the nightly cries of animals roaming for their
prey. Of its gorgeous palaces and temples, enriched with the choicest
works of art, and decorated with the most precious marbles, scarcely a
trace can be discerned. Within the space of ten years after laying the
foundation, from an obscure fortress, it became the most celebrated and
flourishing city of all Syria. It was named Cæsarea by Herod, in honour
of Augustus, and dedicated by him to that emperor, in the twenty-eighth
year of his reign. Upon this occasion, that the ceremony might be
rendered illustrious, by a degree of profusion unknown in any former
instance, Herod assembled the most skilful musicians, wrestlers, and
gladiators from all parts of the world. This solemnity was to be renewed
every fifth year. But, as we viewed the ruins of this memorable city,
every other circumstance respecting its history was absorbed in the
consideration that we were actually beholding the very spot where the
scholar of Tarsus, after two years’ imprisonment, made that eloquent
appeal, in the audience of the king of Judea, which must ever be
remembered with piety and delight. In the history of the actions of the
holy Apostles, whether we regard the internal evidence of the narrative,
or the interest excited by a story so wonderfully appalling to our
passions and affections, there is nothing that we call to mind with
fuller emotions of sublimity and satisfaction. ‘In the demonstration of
the Spirit and of power,’ the mighty advocate for the Christian faith
had before ‘reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to
come,’ till the Roman governor, Felix, trembled as he spoke. Not all the
oratory of Tertullus; not the clamour of his numerous adversaries; not
even the countenance of the most profligate of tyrants availed against
the firmness and intrepidity of the oracle of God. The judge had
trembled before his prisoner; and now a second occasion offered, in
which, for the admiration and the triumph of the Christian world, one of
the bitterest persecutors of the name of Christ, and a Jew, appeals, in
the public tribunal of a large and populous city, to all its chiefs and
its rulers, its governor and its king, for the truth of his conversion
founded on the highest evidence.”
CÆSAREA PHILIPPI was first called Laish or Leshem, Judg. xviii, 7. After
it was subdued by the Danites, Judg. v, 29, it received the name of Dan;
and is by Heathen writers called Paneas. Philip, the youngest son of
Herod the Great, made it the capital of his tetrarchy, enlarged and
embellished it, and gave it the name of Cæsarea Philippi. It was
situated at the foot of Mount Hermon, near the head of the Jordan; and
was about fifty miles from Damascus, and thirty from Tyre. Our Saviour
visited and taught in this place, and healed one who was possessed of an
evil spirit: here also he gave the memorable rebuke to Peter, Mark viii.