A Taste of AJU’s Global Jewish Life Tours: Caesarea

A Taste of AJU’s Global Jewish Life Tours: Caesarea

Thursday at 12:00pm PDT

Built two thousand years ago by Rome’s Judean Governor Herod the Great, Caesarea was one of the largest and most magnificent ports in the Mediterranean during the Roman period. Giant engineered piers designed by Herod stretched out into the sea to accommodate dozens of ships. During the Roman period, Caesarea contained a hippodrome, aqueduct and theater as well as palaces fit for a king. Eventually the Great Jewish Revolt broke out against the Romans and a subsequent second Jewish Revolt led to the execution of the Jewish leadership in the city. A thousand years later the Crusaders arrived and built a giant fortress, and then came the Ottomans, who turned it into a seaside town. Join tour guide Gadi Ben-Dov and explore the Roman theatre, Crusader fortress, and the Ottoman harbor as you take a step back in time to old Caesarea.

Gadi Ben-Dov was born in the US, raised in a kibbutz in the Galilee, and now lives in Jerusalem with his wife and their two children. Gadi became a licensed tour guide after finishing his IDF service as an officer and traveling the world. His love of the land, and especially the people of Israel have given him insights into this country that he shares with every visitor. Gadi's ability to make connections is at the core of his guiding. He works with families, groups, and individual travelers from every background and from every place around the world. During the pandemic Gadi developed a unique approach to virtual tourism and is one of the founders of the Israel Virtual Tourism Federation.