Caesarea, like much of the Israel of old, was built by King Herod, who—despite being barely Jewish, was appointed King of the Jews by the Romans in 37 BCE. As his way of saying thanks, Herod ordered the construction of the port of Caesarea over the Phoenician town of Strato’s Tower on the Mediterranean coast. Named (obviously) after the Caesar—at that time Caesar Augustus—the port’s Romanesque ruins remain to this day, along with Byzantine, Crusader, and Mamluk stonework added over subsequent conquests.
Just south of the ancient port’s aqueduct, on a beach more secluded, I went skinny dipping for the first time. Birthright was a trip of firsts: first time in the Middle East, first time crying in front of friends, first time sleeping under the stars. I want there to be more firsts on this adventure, more opportunities to leave my comfort zone as I travel. It is through routine that we become disciplined, but it is often outside routine where we grow.
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