BANIAS/CAESAREA PHILIPPE The location is where the major battle in 198 BC took place where following the death of Alexander the Great and the division of his empire, Antiochus the Great defeated the Egyptians and took control of the land for the Seleucids. In 20 BC the territory was given to Herod the Great by the Romans. It was here that Peter made his great confession and first announcement of passion (Matthew 16:13-23).

Caesarea Philippi is the extreme northern boundary of Israel, only 30 miles from Tyre and 50 miles SW of Damascus Syria. This was the most northern city that Jesus visited, four miles (6 kilometers) east of Dan, 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Jerusalem. When Herod died, Israel was divided between his sons. Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra was given the Golan Heights and he made Panias his headquarters or capital. He renamed the city Caesarea Philippe in honor of Tiberias Caesar and himself. The city was of remarkable size and religious activity. 

One stands about 1150 miles above sea level at the foot of Mt. Hermon where many think to be the Mount of Transfiguration (which happened six days later), and at the place where Pan the Greek god of fertility was once worshipped. The Greeks dedicated the half man, half horse statue and renamed the city, Paneas. Here in the caves the statue Nymphs was housed and Herod the Great built a white marble temple to Emperor Augustus. The mountain was actually a skyscraping idol in God’s Land.  Here the event recorded in Matthew 16:13-23 took place (Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21). 

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon bar Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 Among the pagan religions, gods, and faiths, then and today, the question remains, “what do men say of Yeshua/Jesus,” and “Who” is Yeshua/Jesus? Peter was given an unveiling, revelation from God that though amidst idolatry in God’s Land and among His people, Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. That is, then, He was God! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is diverse from all religions, all faiths, due to its claim of the Deity, Death, Burial and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. No religion or faith makes this claim! The city came to be called Banias as the Arabs initially had no “p” pronunciation in their alphabet. No Palestine, rather, “Falestine”) and no Panias rather Banias. The city gained another name, Neronias after the Emperor Nero who was said to be insane, who burned Christians at the stake as he rode through them naked. He later committed suicide and the Romans changed the name back to Paneas.

During the Jewish-Roman War (66-70 AD) Vespasian, the Roman General camped his army here, and his son, Titus had myriad Jewish prisoners slaughtered in the perverted gladiatorial shows for entertainment of the Greeks. You may notice fences on the road side as you leave which is to warn and keep people and animals from walking onto mines planted during the Syrian war for the Golan.