Sifting Through Time at Caesarea

                                                               Paul in Prison -- Rembrandt 1627

Some days later when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ Jesus.  And as he discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.”  At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him.

After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

                                                   Acts 24:24-27 NRSVue

In Christian congregations which follow the liturgical year Easter is a season rather than a day, with six Sundays following the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. On all of those Sundays one of the possible readings is from the Acts of the Apostles, Luke's sequel to the gospel bearing his name. 

We had an Acts of the Apostles experience while in Israel, a stormy day at Caesarea Maritima, the impressive port built by King Herod two thousand years ago on the Mediterranean coast. It continued to be a signficant centre for maritime trade for centuries, through different cultures and empires. 

When we were there we dodged the sporadic rain and revelled in the panorama of the churning sea. I was impressed by how much archeological work has been done in the nearly 30 years since my last visit which gives a much broader sense of how magnificent this port and city had been. 

Caesarea was important in the development of Christian history. In Acts 10 we read about a Roman military officer named Cornelius who was baptized after the disciple Peter had a vision which freed him to understand that the Good News about Jesus, the Christ, included Gentiles as well as Jews.

Caesarea was also the place where the apostle Paul was incarcerated for more than two years. While I was aware of Paul's imprisonment the length of time was something which I just didn't recall. One of the more recent excavations is of what has been identified as a jail or prison. Although this hole in the ground is not exactly the most inspiring aspect of Caesarea it may have been where Paul was held during that time.

This historical imprisonment of the person who some describe as the founder of the Christian faith makes me more aware of all those Christians who are persecuted and incarcerated for their faith today.