Caesarea Philippi
Caesarea Philippi (Latin: "Philip's city of Caesar")
was built by Herod's son
Philip on a large plateau at the foot of Mount Hermon where the headwaters
of the Jordan river emerge from a grotto.
From ancient times the place
was the site of worship of pagan nature gods, first Ba'al & then
Pan. A grotto shrine dedicated to Pan & the nymph Echo led the site
to be called Paneas in early Roman times [Banias in Arabic]. Herod built a temple dedicated to the Roman
emperor Augustus there. But the city was a totally new foundation by
Philip. The fresh water pools, fertile environment, thousand foot elevation
& scenic vistas made it one of the most pleasant resorts in Palestine.
But as a center for pagan worship, miles north of Galilee & without
Jewish settlements in the region, it is a puzzling site for the gospels
of Mark (8:27ff) & Matt (16:13ff) to locate the story of Peter's confession that Jesus was the
Anointed [Christos, Messiah].
Sources: Into
His Own |