Ministry to the Gentiles-Caesarea Philippi |
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"
(Matthew 16:13-16).
As a result of his miracles, everyone was talking excitedly about Jesus,
speculating that he was the long-promised Messiah. Others hailed him as
Elijah reborn; still others spoke of John the Baptist raised from the dead.
John (6:15) reports that some intended to "come and make him king by
force."
Meanwhile, in his columned throne room high of his palace on the acropolis
above his lakeside capital of Tiberias, Herod Antipas listened to reports
of the peoples' actions with Jesus with growing concern. Although he could
not believe that Jesus was the expected Messiah, the fact that the people
believed he was made him a dangerous rival to himself. According to Luke,
he even tried to see Jesus. Sooner or later, Herod felt, Jesus would lead
a rebellion against him; no longer could he afford to let him remain free.
Apparently Herod sought a way to eliminate Jesus, as he had done with John
the Baptist, because, at some point—we do not know when—friendly Pharisees
came to Jesus, saying, "Get away from here, for Herod Antipas wants
to kill you. Jesus ordered them to tell "that fox" that he must
first finish his work of driving out demons and healing in Galilee:
"I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next
day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!" (Luke 13:33).
However, even when Jesus was able to go home to Capernaum, he could not
stay long. His only choice was to leave Antipas' territory and so, at a
crucial point in his Galilean ministry, Jesus withdrew northward to the
district around Caesarea Philippi, in the tetrarchy of Herod Philip. Following
Jesus' example, we too move into one of the Holy Land's lushest, most well-watered
areas, where the storied Jordan River originates.
In the footsteps of Jesus...
Heading north from Kursi, Route 92 skirts the eastern edge of the Sea
of Galilee under the steep basalt cliffs of the southern Golan Heights.
Our route takes us into the heart of the territory ruled in Jesus' time
by the tetrarch ("ruler of a fourth part") Herod Philip, one
of the sons of Herod the Great. The history of this area is very long.
In the Old Testament it was known as Bashan ("fruitful") and
it was well-known for its rich pature lands that supported the "rams
and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan"
(Ezekiel 39:18). It was one of the first territories held by the half-tribe
of Manasseh, descended from the oldest son of Joseph. They conquered it
from King Og (Deuteronomy 3:11). In New Testament times it was known as
Gaulanitis; today, it is known as the Golan Heights. During the Six-Day
War of 1967 the Golan was taken by the Israeli Defense Forces in retaliation
for Syrian attacks and an attempt to divert the Banias River, one the three
principle sources of the Jordan River. On a map the Golan appears as a
bulge in the northwestern corner of Israel, to which it was annexed in
1982.
At the junction with Road 87, we retrace our steps along the lakeshore
past the site of Bethsaida which, we recall from our earlier visit, was
home to at least five of Jesus' disciples.
In Mark's Gospel, the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida served as
a transition from Jesus' Galilee ministry:
"They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought
a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the
hand and led him outside the village. When he had spat on the man's eyes
and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?' He looked
up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.' Once
more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened,
his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home,
saying, 'Don't go into the village'" (Mark 8:22-26).
More important, it opened the disciples' eyes to Jesus' forthcoming
passion and death:
"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his
disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands
of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must
be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside
and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen
to you!' Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are
a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but
the things of men.' Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for me will find it'" (Matthew 16:21-25).
From Bethsaida, we continue on Route 87 past the sites of Capernaum and
Tabgha, then head north on Route 90, the continuation of the main road from
Tiberias, past the turnoff for Rosh Pina and Zefat (Safed).
Rosh Pina, meaning "cornerstone," takes its name from Psalm
118:22: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone."
This verse inspired Zionist pioneers, who came from Romania in 1882, determined
to build a village here on the slopes of Mount Canaan.
From Rosh Pina, the road weaves and twists, rising all the way to Zefat,
Israel's highest city at 3,000 feet above sea level, and one of the four
holy cities of Judaism—along with Tiberias, Herbron and Jerusalem.
Continuing along Route 90: Five miles from Rosh Pina, on the left (west)
side of the road, is Tell Hazor, a huge mound (below)
that serves to remind us of this land's history.
 Tel Hazor
(right) is the site
of the ancient city of Hazor that, over a period of a thousand years, was
built and rebuilt 21 times. Prominently situated on the Via Maris—the all
important trade route linking Egypt with Mesopotamia—it was first mentioned
in Mesopotamian documents of the 2nd millennium BC. It was the most important
city in northern Canaan at the time of the Hebrew Conquest; the book of
Joshua describes it as "the head of all these kingdoms." Joshua
destroyed it in the 13 century BC, but the Israelites resettled it. Its
heyday came three centuries later during the reign of Solomon. After its
destruction by the invading Assyrian king Tiglath-pillesar III in the 8th
century BC, the city never regained its former glory. Today, it is the largest
archaeological site in Israel. |
Our route north from Tell Hazor takes us through the the green landscape
of the Hula Valley. Five miles later, we pass the turnoff for the Hula Nature
Reserve, one of the last vestiges of Israel's wilderness.
|
This wide flatland area, under an immense sky, lies in a rift basin between
the the steep hills of Naftali to the west and the Golan Heights to the
east. When viewed from the hills at its margins the Hula Valley (below)
is a glorious site. Along the now channelized Jordan River are a number
of small lakes, the most southerly of which is Lake Hula. The name of this
small (2 miles wide; 3 miles long), triangular basin, with its base to the
north, is misleading, for there is no Hula River, nor is it a valley. More
often it is called in Hebrew "Emek Hula," literally the Hula Plain.
After the 1948 War of Independence this swampy area—referred to as the
"Waters of Merom" in the Bible (see Joshua 11:5)—was drained
and dredged repeatedly until it was discovered that these "improvements"
actually did grave and irreversible damage to the area's ecology. In 1970
a reconstruction project was begun to restore the Hula Valley to more or
less its natural state. Once again it is alive with herons, ducks, wild
boar, water buffalo and other wildlife that died or went elsewhere after
the swaps were drained. The valley is a migration stop for birds coming
from as far away as Scandinavia, Russia and India. Also, abundant papyrus
reeds grow here—nowhere else in the world do they grow this far north. |
 |
 |
Dominating the view north from the Hula Valley is the massive summit
of Mount Hermon, the tallest peak in Israel at 9,232 feet above sea level.
 Right, Mount Hermon ("devoted
mountain") has three summits, about 1/4 mile from the other. Its huge
mass—some 5 miles wide and 16 to 20 miles from north to south—is visible
for miles around. The upper slopes remain snowcapped virtually all year,
as indicated by the Amorite name for the mountain, Senir (or Shenir), meaning
"snow mountain." It was known as 'Sirion' among the Phoenicians
and the Arabs call it Jebel el-Sheikh, the "grey haired mountain,"
or Jebel el-Thalj, the "mountain of the snow." Its Hebrew name,
"Chermown" ("sanctuary"), may allude to the fact that
since ancient times it has been a sacred mountain. The mountain was also
called "Baal-Hermon" (Judges 3:3) in the time of Joshua and the
Judges, indicating a local Baal was worshiped there (as was the case with
many high places). The dew of Hermon was a sign of blessing:
"It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount
Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life for evermore"
(Psalm 133:3).
In Biblical times, the mountain was the home of lions and leopards:
"Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with
me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir,
the summit of Hermon, from the lions' dens and the mountain haunts of the
leopards" (Song of Songs 4:8).
Mount Hermon has been described as a giant sponge with many scattered
cavities (dolinas) that collect huge volumes of snow. They are the last
areas to melt in the spring and they emerge at the base of the mountain
in a series of abundant springs that form the three main sources of the
Jordan River. These springs also feed the Litani River as well as the Oasis
of Damascus. In clear weather, Mount Hermon is visible from great distances.
It dominates the landscape. From the Mediterranean coast to the Jordan Valley,
the snow-capped cone forms the one permanent feature on the northern horizon
of Israel. In Biblical times the slopes were apparently covered in thick
forests. While in exile, David reflected on the depths of the Jordan and
the heights of Hermon. They were for him symbols of the source and extent
of God's blessing, His love and protection (Psalm 42:5-11; 133:3). |
Somewhat further on we drive through Kiryat Shmona (population 19,900)
the only urban center in the Upper Hula Valley, after which we head northeast
on Road 99 for 9 miles to Tell Dan Nature Reserve.
Tel Dan, located some 26 miles north of the Sea of Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon
border, is noted for it natural beauty. The Dan (or Leddan) River, which
emerges at the foot of the mound, is the largest and most important of
the three principal sources of the Jordan River. In Old Testament times
this was the site of the city of Dan, often mentioned in the Bible as the
northern limit of the Promised Land, as in Judges 20:1: "Then all
the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead
came out as one man and assembled before the Lord."
Situated at the northern end of, and overlooking, the fertile Hula basin
several hundred feet below, it guarded an important trade route linking
Tyre and Damascus. In the early days the city was called Leshem (meaning
"precious stone;" see Joshua 19:47) or Laish (meaning "lion;"
see Judges 18:29). About 1100 BC it was conquered by the Hebrew tribe of
Dan, who renamed after their forefather, Dan, one of the sons of Jacob
(Israel). Unfortunatly, Dan became a noted cultic site where "the
Danites set up for themselves the idols" (Judges 18:30) and, later,
King Jeroboam of the Northern Kingdom of Israel established a "high
place" (Hebrew bama), complete with a golden calf, as an alternative
to worship in Jerusalem. As stated in 1 Kings 12:29-30: "And this
thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship."
Two miles further east of Tell Dan, we arrive at the focus of this day's
tour, the Hermon River (Banias) Nature Reserve—the site of the New Testament
city of Caesara Philippi, which at the time of Jesus, was largely a Gentile
frontier town. Spectacularly beautiful, the Banias Reserve is probably the
most popular spot in the Upper-Galilee-Golan region. Here, in this enchanting
area, dubbed the "Syrian Tivoli," we will spend some time hiking
and studying one of the more significant episodes in Jesus' ministry, as
told in Matthew and Mark (also in Luke, although no location is mentioned).
In Matthew (16:13), Jesus "came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,"
after performing three great miracles: the feeding of the 5,000, walking
on the water, and the healing of a Phoenician woman's child. In Mark, he
first spends some time in the regions of Tyre and Sidon and the Decapolis,
with their largely Gentile populations, then (in Mark 8:27) he "went
on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi." Neither Gospel,
tells us that Jesus actually entered Caesarea Philippi itself, a classically
pagan center full of temples, Greek theaters and statues.
Caesarea Philippi
The city called Caesarea Philippi in the New Testament was located about
25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. It was beautifully situated on a
slender, triangular terrace, 1,150 feet above sea level, on the southwest
slope of Mount Hermon. The area is one of striking scenery, lush groves
of trees, grassy fields and an abundance of water, that literally gushes
from the ground.
According to written sources, the site was first settled in the Hellenistic
period (332-37 BC). It was of great strategic importance as it guarded
the fertile plains to the west. The snowmelt from Mount Hermon flowed underground
and surfaced within a cave at the base of a high limestone cliff forming
one of the biggest springs in the Middle East, feeding into the eastern-most
of the three recognized sources of the Jordan River. In ancient times,
the combination of natural features of cavern and spring gave rise to a
fertility cult here to the Canaanite gods Baal-Gad, "lord of good
fortune" (see Joshua 11:17), and Baal-Hermon, "lord of destruction"
(see Judges 3:3).
The Ptolemaic kings of Egypt, who took control of the area following
the death of Alexander the Great, continued to develop the Hellenistic
(Greek) culture in the region. They regarded the area at the foot of Mount
Hermon with its spring, caves, and woods as a sacred site to Pan, the Greek
god of herds, shepherds, nature, trees and water. To counter the Semitic
shrine at Dan, two miles to the west, they built a cult center at the site
of the sacred cave and called it "Paneion" ("sanctuary of
Pan"). Other versions of the name are "Panias" and "Panium."
During this period, the shrine attracted pagan visitors from the immediate
area, who brought offerings and ate cultic meals in the presence of their
god (sacred picnics?).
Hostilities broke out between the rival Seleucid (Syria) and Ptolemaic
(Egypt) kingdoms. According to the Roman historian Polivius, the Seleucid
king Antiochus III won a decisive victory at Paneion/Panias/Panium over
the Egyptian forces in 200 BC, giving the Seleucids control of southern
Syria and the whole of Judea. At the scene of his victory Antiochus founded
a Greek city, calling it Antioch after himself, but it became known as
Panias after the shrine. This name has survived to the present in the form
of Banias, an Arabic corruption of Panias (the Arabic language has no "P"
sound).
In 20 BC, Herod the Great acquired Panias as a reward for his loyalty
to Augustus Caesar. After Herod's death in 4 BC, Panias became part of
the territory of his son Philip (ruled 4 BC-34 AD), who renamed it Caesarea
in honor of Tiberius Caesar. It was called Caesarea Philippi (i.e. Philip's
Caesarea) to distinguish it from other cities of the same name, especially
his father's Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. It became the administative
capital of his large kingdom, which spread across the area north and east
of the Sea of Galilee. It was strategically situated just to the west of
the large basalt plateau which forms the Golan Heights. Since ancient times
this was a major crossroads. Here, the Via Maris passed through a passageway
between Mount Hermon and the Golan plateau on it's way to Damascus, while
to the south it headed down into Galilee. Another road to the west went
to the Mediterranean coast and the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
From the parking lot at the Hermon River (Banias) Nature Reserve's eastern
entrance, we head down a path, past walnut, lemon and fig trees, to a terrace
at the foot of a cliff that was once the sacred precinct of Panias/Caesarea
Philippi dedicated to the god Pan. Moving along the terrace from left to
right we first note the center piece of the area, the Banias Cave, from
which the source of the Jordan River once emerged. The mouth of the cave
measures about 49 feet high and 65 feet wide. Before an 1837 earthquake
the river emerged from the cave floor; now it emerges from a crack below
the cave. Josephus Flavius, speaking of the cave, wrote:
"This is a very fine cave in a mountain, under which
there is a great cavity in the earth, and the cavern is abrupt, and prodigiously
deep, and frill of a still water; over it hangs a vast mountain; and under
the caverns arise the springs of the river Jordan" (Antiquities
of the Jews, book 15, chapter 10:3).
|
Above left, sacred precinct of Panias/Caesarea Philippi with the
Banias Cave, from which the source of the Jordan River (foreground) once
emerged. |
 |
Right, cult niches carved in the cliff-face that once held
statues of the god Pan. |
 |
Left, Figure of
the half-man, half-goat god Pan playing his panpipes |
Josephus goes on to say that Herod the Great built a white marble temple
(far left in reconstruction drawing, below) which
he dedicated to Caesar Augustus opposite the entrance to the sacred grotto.
He called it the Augusteion and its remains consist of the foundations
of three walls, two running perpendicular to the cliff-face. It had no
back wall but opened onto the grotto. The temple thus functioned as a forecourt
while the great cave became the inner sanctuary.
Immediately east or right of the cave is a small rock-cut cave surrounded
by five cult niches that once held statues of the god Pan, depicted as
half man-half goat. Three have Greek inscriptions. One refers to Galerius,
a priest of Pan, another relates to Echo, the mountain nymph and lover
of Pan; yet another refers to Diopan, the god who loved music. This was
the back wall of an open-air shrine known as the Court of Pan and the Nymphs
constructed by Philip in the 1st century AD after he founded Caesarea Philippi.
 |
Left,
reconstruction of the sacred precinct at Caesarea Philippi |
 |
Left, temple
ruins at the sacred precinct. |
Remains of yet another temple, dedicated to Zeus and Pan, lie farther
east. Excavators believe it was erected on the 100th anniversary of the
founding of the city by Philip. A semicircular courtyard along the east
side of this temple faces a large niche. An inscription above the niche
links this open-air shrine to Nemesis, goddess of justice and revenge.
At the end of the terrace we also note a primitive building dubbed the
"Temple of Pan and the Goats" by its excavators from the animal
bones, mainly sheep and goats, discovered there in rectangular niches.
It is a vivid reminder of the cult of Pan, half man, half goat, and its
sacrificial practices celebrating the power and fertility of nature.
Now...the reason for our coming to this stunning little
corner of Israel...
Quite possibly here, in this lovely area watered by the cold, rushing
streams, with rock cliff, sacred cave, cult niches and pagan temples as
a backdrop, Jesus closely questioned his followers as to what people thought
of him and his mission, as recorded in Matthew's account:
"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied,
'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah
or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say
I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God'" (Matthew 16:13-16).
To this confession, Jesus replied:
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was
not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you
that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates
of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:17-18).
Because the Cave of Pan seemed to reach into the very depths of the
earth, it came to regarded as the entrance to the underworld, the abode
of Hades (or Pluto), the god of the lower regions, and home to the disembodied
spirits of the dead.
Before leaving this beautiful area, there are two more stops—one to
view the excavations of Philip's city, the other is a surprise.
From a pool just below the terrace of the sacred precinct, a path crosses
the river via a pedestrian bridge. Soon we pass a water-powered floor mill,
one of hundreds used in the Holy Land in the early 19th century AD. It
is the only one that is still in commercial production. The smell of freshly
baked pita bread from a little bakery proves irresistible. We give in and
purchase a few loaves to pass around as we continue our walk.
Crossing the road to our left, we come upon the remains of Philip's
1st century AD Roman city, where excavations have uncovered a luxurious
palace. In some places marble is still attached to the walls, linking it
with Herod Agrippa II, great grandson of Herod the Great, who is known
to have built with marble. This was the same Agrippa who heard Paul's defense
in Caesarea Maritima, recorded in Acts 26. For almost a half a century
he made this land-locked Caesarea his capital (c. 53-93 AD). Other notable
remains include a large basilica used for court hearings, huge round towers
that protected the palace and a colonnaded street (Cardo Maximus) that
bisected the city from north to south.
Continuing on a path along the Hermon/Banias River, the melting snows of
Mount Hermon dash across huge limestone boulders. Cultivated trees—walnut
and pomegranate—grow abundantly alongside native plane trees and willows.
 Keeping to the right at a fork in the path, we pass the so-called "Officer's
Pool," built by Syrian officers stationed here prior to the 1967 Six-Day
War. We keep a watchful eye out for "coneys," wild rabbit-like
creatures, that we understand inhabit the area. The book of Proverbs (30:26)
tells us they "are creatures of little power, yet they make their home
in the crags." Soon the path leads to the surprise mentioned earlier,
the magnificent Banias waterfall (right), known
in Hebrew as Mapal Senir. Two white cascades drop on either side of an ancient
plane tree. It brings to mind Psalm 42, which could only have been inspired by
this setting. |
"...As the deer pants for streams of water, so my
soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?' These things I remember
as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the
procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among
the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within
me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land
of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls..." (Psalm 42:1b-7).
Soon after Peter's confession in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus
led Peter, James and John up a "high mountain," where he appeared
with Moses and Elijah, an event known as the "Transfiguration"
(dictionary definition: a "radical change of figure or appearance;
a metamorphosis; to exalt or glorify).
Witness the Transfiguration