Caesarea made a modest entry into history as a small anchorage established by the Phoenicians in the middle of the 3rd century BCE. They called it the Tower of Straton.

By the end of the 2nd century BCE, it was incorporated into the Hasmonean kingdom by Alexander Jannai. When Pompey captured Jerusalem, Caesarea was still a place of limited importance. It rose to greatness under Herod who took twelve years, from 22 BCE, to construct the left city he called in honor of Caesar Augustus. He built palaces, a temple, an amphitheater, public buildings, a market, and a deep-sea port.

Writing 50 years later, the historian Josephus enthused over the buildings, "all built in a pattern worthy of the city's name." Caesarea became one of the major maritime cities. Such was its splendor that in 6 CE it became the seat of the Roman procurators of Judaea.

In 66 CE, violence broke out between Jewish and Syrian communities in Caesarea, sparking the Jewish revolt throughout the country against the Romans. The Roman victors brought many Jewish captives to be given to the lions here while the rest were shipped into slavery in Rome. Vespasian gave it the status of a Roman colony.

With Jerusalem razed, Caesarea became the capital of Palestine for almost 500 years. Jews gradually returned.