Photo from the of Pictorial Library of Bible Lands (). Later, the Crusaders compromised with the Muslims and divided the use of the nearby fertile plains. The Crusaders used the site-along with the high vantage of nearby Nimrod’s Fortress-as an outpost to face the Sultan of Damascus. But to distinguish it from Herod’s harbor along the seacoast by the same name, Philip appended his own name to the place-Caesarea Philippi. Eighteen years later, Herod’s son Philip inherited the site and named it Caesarea. Having received the area from Caesar Augustus in 20 BC, Herod the Great constructed there a temple of white marble in honor of Caesar. In 197 BC, Antiochus III overthrew the Egyptians at Banias and made way for Antiochus IV to persecute the Jews. Because Arabic has no equivalent for the letter P, the name Panias (for “Pan”) has morphed into “Banias”-the name that exists today. Today, the place is known by two names for two reasons: The site has been identified in Scripture with the names Baal-gad (Joshua 11:17 12:7 13:5), Baal-hermon (Judges 3:3), and Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13). It’s also why the Walt Disney character Peter Pan plays the flute. So Pan made a flute from the reeds, and that’s how the panpipe got its name. We get the word “panic” from this frightful god, and it’s no wonder why! Pan had a thirst for carnal pleasure and once chased a nymph named Syrinx who turned herself into a stand of marsh reeds (so goes the myth). Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands (). Photo: Sacred niches held statues of the Greek god Pan. Niches still visible in the side of the cliff held statues of the Greek god Pan-the mythical half man, half goat who played the panpipe. Josephus referred to the streams that flow here as the fountain of the Jordan.Īrchaeology has uncovered an open-air shrine above the cave from which the water flows. From the mouth of a large cave bubbles a cold, clear stream that helps to form the headwaters of the Jordan River. The melting snows at the peak of Mount Hermon seep into the ground and appear at its base. What an absolutely beautiful area! The flowing streams and the nearby waterfalls offer some of the most pleasant and inviting surroundings for tours, holidays, and family outings.īut that’s not why Jesus came here. Photo: Caesarea Philippi forms the headwaters of the Jordan River. Regrettably, the god worshipped at Banias was not the God of Israel. In a land where water is life, it’s no wonder one of the major sources of water would become a primary place of worship.
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