11. Jabneel, or Jabneh, now called Yebneh, is thirteen miles due south of Jaffa, the ancient Joppa, and must be distinguished from the Jamnia seaport four and a half miles northwest, which is sometimes referred to by the same name, but not so in Scripture. In the time of the Maccabees the coast town was a more important seaport than Joppa.During the crusades Jabneh was called Ibelin.[184] It is built on a hill and is four miles from the sea.
12. In carrying out his enmity against the Christians Saul determined to visit Damascus, where several synagogues existed.
Damascus was about 150 miles by road northeast from Jerusalem. Obtaining letters of introductionfrom the high-priest, he set out to accomplish his purpose. On the way, before entering Damascus, he was arrested by a supernatural vision and was changed from the condition of a bitter and determined enemy to that of an equally determined advocate of the Christian faith, and, after a season of apparent preparation, he returned to Jerusalem.
But this addition to the Christian community was attended with such vexation and such disappointment to the Jews that “they went about to slay him,” and it was thought best by his brethren that Saul should depart for Tarsus. At his departure the persecution ceased.
AZOTUS, CÆSAREA, LYDDA, JOPPA.
13. These places now come into notice in connection with the missionary tours of Philip, the departure of Saul to Tarsus, and the visit of Peter to those who had lately joined the new fellowship.
Philip, after leaving the Ethiopian officer of Queen Candace, travelled northward on the coast of the Mediterranean till he reached Azotus. This was the most important city of the Philistines in the time of David, and was known as Ashdod, but by the Greeks called Azotus. It is three miles inland from the coast, and situated on the slope of a large hill 140 feet above the sea level. It is twenty-one miles north from Azotus to Joppa, and thirty-two from Joppa to Cæsarea, and along this way on foot Philip travelled, preaching as he went.
Cæsarea was built by Herod the Great upon the former site of a little village called Strato’s Tower, and named after Cæsar Augustus. It was magnificently constructed as a city and as a harbor, and vessels sailed between it and many distant parts of the Mediterranean: hence it was at this time and long afterward the great shipping port of Palestine. Josephus gives us a full description of the city, and states that its completion was celebrated, B. C. 13, by splendid games. It was the chief residence of the Roman officers and governors of Judæa.
14. We have evidences that a Christian church had been planted here at a very early period, and in A. D. 200 it became the residence of a bishop who was primate of all the bishops in Palestine, Jerusalem included. Origen taught here in the third century, and here Eusebius was educated and afterward became its bishop; he died A. D. 340. In A. D. 1101 Cæsarea was captured from the Moslems by Baldwin I., and among the rich booty was found a hexagonal vase of green crystal supposed to have been a sacramental cup, and this plays an important part in mediæval poetry as the “holy grail.”
15. It was to this port that Saul was taken to find a passage direct for Tarsus, which was about 300 miles north. Tarsus is ten miles off the coast and twelve or fifteen miles from the present Mersina, or ancient Soli, which was its port.