Caesarea in Hadera, Haifa District, Israel — West Asia (the Levant in the Middle East)
Herod's Theater
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 3, 2023
1. Herod's Theater Marker
Herod's theater, built between 22-10 B.C., was the first of its kind in Israel. Throughout the Roman and Byzantine periods the building underwent several alterations. Sometime during the 3rd or 4th c. A.D., the orchestra was converted into a large basin for staging nautical games. Apparently offended by the licentious entertainment the theater offered, the Christian Byzantine rulers closed it down in the 5th c. A.D.
Between 1959 and 1964 extensive excavations were carried out at the site. The restoration and reconstruction of the theater - the first large scale operation of this kind in Israel - have allowed the building to resume its original purpose. During the summer nights, the theater lends its unique setting to outdoor concerts, ballet and opera performances.
(captions:)
Masks of Tragedy and Comedy details from a mosaic pavement in a Roman villa near Caesarea.
Theaters were originally designed to host tragedies, comedies and mime.
(Hebrew not transcribed)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music •
this page online
Location. 32° 29.762′ N, 34° 53.49′ E. Marker is in Caesarea, Haifa District, in Hadera. It can be reached from Israel National Trail. Touch for map. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Asia, specifically in West Asia, in the Middle East, in The Levant, on the Red Sea, in a coastal Mediterranean country, and in the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, a British Mandate, and the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Roman and Byzantine Statuary at Caesarea (within shouting distance of this marker); A Collection of Architectural Artifacts (within shouting distance of this marker); Architectural Elements (within shouting distance of this marker); The Theater (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Column Capitals (about 90 meters away); Caesarea National Park (about 120 meters away); Sarcophagi (about 120 meters away); The Promontory Palace (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Caesarea.
More about this marker.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 3, 2023
2. Herod's Theater Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 154 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 16, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Hebrew transcription • Can you help?
