Caesarea, Israel.
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About Caesarea:
Caesarea (Hebrew: קיסריה, Qesarya, Keisarya) is a modern locality in Israel located close to historical Caesarea Maritima, half way between the cities of Tel Aviv (45km) and Haifa, along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, near the city of Hadera. The modern town of some 4,200 people is the only locality in Israel which is managed by a private organization (the Caesarea Development Corporation).
History of Caesarea:
Caesarea is a city that Herod the Great dedicated to Caesar Augustus more than 2,000 years ago. Today, it is one of Israel's major tourist attractions and an increasingly popular place for Israel's elite to make their homes.
Once the site of a Phoenician port, over the course of 12 years Herod built Caesarea into the grandest city other than Jerusalem in Palestine, with a deep sea harbor (called Sebastos, i.e., Augustus in Greek), aqueduct, hippodrome and magnificent amphitheater that remain standing today. Herod renamed the city Caesarea in honor of the emperor. The population of Caesarea was half gentile and half Jewish, often causing disputes among the people. In 6 CE, Caesarea became the home of the Roman governors (Procurators) of Judea. The city remained the capital of Roman and Byzantine Palestine.
Today, the amphitheater is not only a spectacular relic of the past, but a modern performing venue where concerts are frequently held.
The beginning of the modern settlement of Caesarea was in 1884 when Muslims from Bosnia settled there and erected a mosque, although previously a group of Templers had attempted settlement under the guise of an archaeological camp. At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, Baron Edmond James de Rothschild purchased much of the land around Caesarea.
Following Israel's establishment, the village which was then home to 1,120, was abandoned during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Following this, the Rothschild family decided to transfer all their land holdings in the country to the new state. This land holding included the 35,000 dunams of land which makes up Caesarea and it was also decided that in order to fulful the will of Edmond James de Rothschild, a foundation to contribute to education, arts and culture, and welfare should be formed. The Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Foundation was formed and run based on the funds generated by the sale of Caesarea land which the Foundation is responsible for maintaining. Today, the Foundation is owned half by the Rothschild Family, and half by the State of Israel.
Caesarea is the only locality in Israel which is managed by a private organization (the Caesarea Development Corporation) rather than a municipal governmental organization. Besides providing municipal services to the residents of Caesarea it also markets plots for real-estate development in the locality (since it owns most of the undeveloped land there) and owns and manages the nearby business park as well as Caesarea's golf course and country club.
The locality is considered one of the most upscale residential developments in Israel. The current Baron de Rothschild still maintains a home in Caesarea as do many other wealthy individuals and high government as well as some foreign officials.
