Emperor Worship
Caesarea: Herod the Great named Caesarea for Caesar Augustus. A temple to Augustus was built along the harbor. A consummate politician, Herod remodeled the temple in Jerusalem for Jewish worshipers but elsewhere constructed shrines for gentile religious practices, including the cult of the emperor and the goddess Roma. Honoring the emperor in this way helped to maintain good relations with the Romans, who exercised political control in the region.
