Not far from the hotel strip of Herzliya, on the northern end of Herzliya Pituach, lay remnants that put together much of the history of the land of Israel in the past 2,500 years. When you stand on the cliff, you may watch the sun absorbed into the blue-turquoise water of the Mediterranean Sea, and observe the seagulls improving their aerodynamic abilities, gliding on the afternoon winds. It is easy to understand then, why so many people, throughout the history, wanted this place to be theirs.

Apollonia’s / Arsuf

Not all the inhabitants of this place were so romantic though. The Phoenicians (6^th – 4^th centuries BCE) utilized the small natural anchorage for their ships, and the local water snails to produce purple dye. They called the place Arsuf (אַרְסוּף) after Reshef  (רֶשֶׁף), the deity of plague, war and storms. The place was later conquered by the Greeks (4^th – 1^st centuries BCE) who identified Reshef with their god Apollo, and hence renamed the place Apollonia(אַפּוֹלוֹנְיָה) .

A descendent of the Chashmonai house (בֵּית חַשְׁמוֹנַאי) (yes, those from the Chanukah story), Alexander Janneus (אָלֶכְּסַנְדֶּר יַנַּאי) captured the place in the process of reclaiming the Kingdom of Israel.

During the Roman period, (1^st – 3^rd centuries CE), Apollonia flourished and became a real city. One Roman family chose to reside at the exact same place that I would have chosen to build my house, overlooking the sea and enjoying the evening breeze. Standing on its ruins, I could easily imagine myself resting on the open courtyard surrounded by a colonnade and listening to the fading day of the busy city.

The Roman Villa

In the centuries to come, the city continued to develop becoming the main port city of the area and specializing in the industries of wine, oil, and glass. The citizens enjoyed a sophisticated water system based on collection of surface runoff in cisterns.

Water Reservoir

The city was then conquered by the Muslims (7^th – 9^th centuries) who surrounded it by a wall (חוֹמָה) that helped them against the attack of the Byzantine fleet, but could not resist the Crusader King Baldwin I who conquered the city in 1101 CE. The Crusaders (צַלְבָּנִים) strengthened the walls, dug a dry moat and later even built a fortress(מְצוּדָה) . The place was in the midst of fighting between the Crusaders and the Muslims changing rulers frequently until the Mameluke Sultan Bibars conquered the city after 40 days of siege (1265 CE). Bibars promised the crusaders to spare their lives and let them leave the city if they surrender. However, he did not keep his promise, and made the Crusaders destroy and burn the fortress, and finally imprisoned them. Eventually the Mamelukes abandoned the place that was never inhabited again.

Model of the Crusader Fortress

The remains of the Apollonia-Arsuf settlement are located within the Apollonia National Park and allow the visitor to feel like traveling in time through thousands of years of historical events.