ccording to Acts, Paul's ship put in at Caesarea around the year 57, and he proceeded to Jerusalem. Once there, he went up to the Temple for ritual purification and offerings. Whether he successfully delivered the collection is open to question; his intention to do so is clearly stated in his letter to the Romans. While in the Temple, Paul was accused of violating the Temple's sanctity. A riot ensued, and Paul was seized and then arrested by Roman officers. Once safe under guard in the Roman barracks, Paul asserted his citizenship. As such, he had the right to request an audience with the emperor in Rome. The crossing was best made from Caesarea, so he was transferred back to Caesarea. After audiences with various authorities, he boarded a ship bound for Rome in the custody of a Roman centurion. The centurion would have carried a diplomum, a pass giving him authority to demand civilian cooperation and services. Paul was accustomed to the hospitality of friends, and well versed at surviving in its lack. His centurion escort would have inspired suspicion and resentment -- or toadying deference -- in the civilians he encountered. It gave Paul an opportunity to see the Empire from the inside. Acts depicts a perilous sea voyage, where, for over three months, Paul himself kept the ship from disaster a number of times. After a brief stay with Christians in a small village on the Italian coast, Paul and his centurion headed into the heart of the Empire, the city of Rome.