Christmas in Israel: Kfar Shmaryahu Tombs, Apollonia & Caesarea

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Photos (top to bottom):  Caesarea, King Herod's Hippodrome (photo 1);  surf breaking over seawall in Caesarea;  Byzantine tombs in Kfar Shmaryahu, associated with the ancient city of Apollonia (photos 3-5);  the location of the old AIS-Israel (photo 6), now a vacant field.  For loads more photos see http://www.becauseoftime.org/ISD/ScenesDakar2.html.

As photo 2 suggests, we are experiencing full-on winter weather, with rain in the forecast over the next several days.  The image was taken at Caesarea, where a cafe owner explained that we are seeing the largest swells of the year thus far, expected to grow up to 7 meters in height.

The nearshore deposits of sand are very dynamic along the coast of Israel, and they shift in depth and distribution, shifting with each winter storm.  It was after such a storm in '91 that we discovered a cargo of Roman nails, three sounding leads, and a copper wine vessel in a location previously concealed beneath a thick blanket of sand.  The next storm concealed the area once again, and it never reopened in the following year.  Ironically, the area was open yesterday morning, though I was not able to relocate the site of what we interpreted as a Roman shipwreck.

Kfar Shmaryahu is an affluent community situated about 10 miles north of Tel Aviv, where the international school was located in the early '90s.  The community lies on the second kurkar (sandstone) ridge from the seacoast.  Along this ridge are found a complex of Byzantine-period tombs associated with the ancient port city of Apollonia dating to the 4th and 5th centuries.  During the two years when I was teaching at the international school, we were aware of the tombs, but most were overgrown, and many littered with garbage.  The tombs have since been excavated, conserved, and surrounded by a lovely neighborhood park.  Note photos 2-5 above.

Former AISers may know that the international school has moved north to Netanya.  While I haven't seen it yet, I understand that it is quite fancy.  Alas, the former school, located in the heart of Kfar Shmaryahu, has been razed;  there is nothing left but an vacant field, slated to be developed.  Sad.