The Life of Jesus in Harmony  

C	aesarea Philippi in the Time of Jesus

Mark 8:27 "And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?"

During the time of Jesus Caesarea Philippi was located in the land of Israel far north above the Sea of Galilee. It was 1150 feet above sea level and located at the foot of Mount Hermon. One of the primary sources of the Jordan River came from an unusual cave at Caesarea Philippi which gushed forth water in ancient times. Inside the cave there was also a pit which was so deep that the bottom could not be discovered. It was such a natural place that many ancient cultures worshiped there. The ancient Canaanites worshiped there, and later the Greeks build a shrine there dedicated to the God Pan (it's Greek name was Paneas), and Alexander the Great knew of the place. It was on the flat plain below the terrace at Caesarea Philippi that the Seleucids defeated the Ptolemies in 200 BC and they took control of the land of Israel. Later during the time of the Roman Empire Augustus Caesar visited there and even erected a temple there. There are many archaeological remains at the site of ancient Caesarea Philippi. Augustus gave the city to Herod the Great, and later when he died it was given to his son Philip who rebuilt it, and made it his capital city. Caesarea Philippi was the last place Jesus came to before he went to Jerusalem to be lifted up. It was here at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus revealed who he was and that he was going to die. He asked his disciples, "who do you say that I am?" and Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, and Jesus anounced his death to them and the building of his Church. He said that "the gates of Hades" will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18).

Caesarea Philippi is mentioned only in the first two Gospels, Mt 16:13; Mr 8:27 and in accounts of the same transactions. It was at the easternmost and most important of the two recognized sources of the Jordan, the other being at Tel-el-Kadi. The spring rises from and the city was built on a limestone terrace in a valley at the base of Mount Hermon 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. It was enlarged by Herod Philip, and named after Caesar, with his own name added to distinguish it from Caesarea. Its present name is Banias, a village of some 50 houses, with many interesting ruins. Caesarea Philippi has no Old Testament history, though it has been not unreasonably identified with Baal-gad. It was visited by Christ shortly before his transfiguration, Mt 16:13-28 and was the northern limit of his journeys. Mr 8:27 - Smith's Bible Dictionary

Historical Notes

- CAESAR'EA PHIL'I'PI (caes-ar-ia phil-i-pi; Gk. City dedicated to Caesar and Philip).

- During the time of Jesus it was called Paneas and was very pagan.

- Herod Philip the Tetrarch enlarged the city and renamed it Caesarea Philippi after Caesar Augustus and himself, and to distinguish it from Caesarea Maritima located on the Mediterranean Sea coast. Augustus had alloted a portion of his father Herod's kingdom to him and Philip wished to honor him.

- Herod Philip the Tetrarch was son of Herod the Great and his 5th wife Cleopatra of Jerusalem.

- It was a place of many pagan rituals.

- Many believe that Mount Hermon was the place of the transfiguration.

- It was here that Jesus said "Upon this rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matt 16:13-18; Mark 8:27-33).

- Roman troops slaughtered many Jews there during the first Jewish revolt (66-70 AD).
 

Related Topics: Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, Mount Hermon, Peter, James, John, Jesus, the Transfiguration.

 

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Ancient Caesarea Philippi
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