The greatest collection of items discovered during archaeology excavations in Caesarea Maritima Museum, Herod's ancient city. While many others were revealed during archaeological investigations, others were accidentally found while cultivating the land. Many different artefacts from the Roman/Herodian, Byzantine, Muslim, and Crusader periods have been discovered, including marble sculptures, sarcophagi, inscriptions, coins, oil lamps, ceramics, jewellery, metal utensils, amphorae, etc. Additionally on display are mosaics, pieces from Jewish gravestones, and items from the Caesarea Synagogue

Near the location of a historic Phoenician naval post known as Stratonos pyrgos (voo oo, "Straton's Tower"), perhaps named for the Sidonian king Strato I who ruled in the 4th century BCE, the city and harbour were constructed by Herod the Great between 22 and 10 or 9 BCE. The provinces of Roman Judea, Roman Syria Palaestina, and Byzantine Palaestina Prima subsequently made it their regional capital. The city was inhabited from the first to the sixth century AD, when it rose to prominence as an early Christian centre under Byzantium. However, it was devastated after the Muslim conquest of 640, which caused it to lose its significance. It was taken over by the Crusaders, who reinforced and improved it when the Muslims re-fortified it in the 11th century.