The U-Shaped Building at Caesarea is an exploration of a portion of the praetorium of the governor of Caesarea and its subsequent phases, through its excavation in the 1970s by a team led by Robert J. Bull. By examining field notes, photographs and plans, a team of specialists reconstructs the original fourth-century CE construction of a garden space and fountain; its subsequent remodeling in the mid-fifth to mid-sixth century; and its second phase as a luxuriously decorated garden and entertainment space. Partially refurbished during the short Persian occupation, the reassertion of Byzantine control led to a transformation of the area, linking it more strongly to interior spaces of the praetorium. Subsequent phases elucidate the areas use as a cemetery in the Crusader and Ottoman periods by providing information about the inhabitants and their burial practices. The volume investigates the form of a praetorium in the eastern Mediterranean, the formation of ancient garden architecture, and the composition of the inhabitants of Crusader and Ottoman Caesarea. 

ASOR Archaeological Reports, Volume 32, Series Editor Jennie Ebeling, January 2026, 214 pages, ISBN 9780897571258, $79.95.