Tisha B'Av, Rabbi Akiva and Caesarea

Tonight, as we begin the day of Jewish mourning known as Tisha B'Av, join me join me in the ancient city of Caesarea, Israel located on the Mediterranean Coast. It’s beauty, innovative engineering and centuries of rich a history offer a fun day out.

But it wasn’t always a setting for romantic picnics at sunset. Let’s examine this through the recent exposure of archaeological finds.

This picture, with the glittering sea in the background, is believed to have been an underground cistern providing water to the city when the Romans ruled Israel some 2,000 years ago.

A city can only become a city if there is drinking water for the people. In Caesarea we have multiple water sources created with engineering that astounds us today in modern times.

King Herod certainly needed this to supply water to his mid-sea private freshwater swimming pool!

The cistern was later converted into what is believed to be a prison, after King Herod’s time. Inscriptions found in this structure and an above ground courthouse nearby would both support that idea.

But what do picnics, and swimming pools have to do with Tisha B’Av? There is more here than a parallel to the prohibition of eating and swimming on this day.

In the 2nd century C.E. Roman Emperor Hadrian outlawed the study and teaching of the Torah and disobeying was punishable by death.

On Tisha B’Av we commemorate 10 Jewish leaders who were tortured and murdered by the Romans for their dedication to Torah study. They are known as the 10 Martyrs and Rabbi Akiva was one of them.

His imprisonment and execution took place in Caesarea. Could this be the location of his imprisonment?

On this day that recounts historical tragedies begotten by disunity, and the recent Keneset/Israeli Parliament vote that has polarized Israel I'd like to sign off with the most famous quote from Rabbi Akiva: "As Rabbi Akiva said, “This is a major principle of the Torah: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר (ויקרא יט, יח): וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ, זֶה כְּלַל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה

- Bereisheet Rabbah 27