On June 14, the Cotler Fellows went on their final field trip for the 2025-2026 academic year, visiting Caesarea National Park and the ancient Roman aqueduct at Caesarea Beach, both among Israel’s most important archaeological and historical sites.

Founded by Herod the Great in the first century BCE and named in honor of the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, Caesarea served as the administrative capital of Roman and later Byzantine Palestine. The Fellows explored the remarkably preserved Roman theater, ancient harbor, hippodrome, and Crusader-era fortifications, gaining insight into the city’s significance as a political, commercial, and cultural center for centuries.

After touring the archaeological remains, the Fellows spent the afternoon relaxing at the Caesarea Beach near the ancient Roman Aqueduct, located just north of the national park. The impressive Roman aqueduct, built some 2,000 years ago, once carried fresh water from springs near Mount Carmel to the city over a distance of approximately 16 kilometers.