Marble Temple In Ceasarea Philippi

Hermon caesarea philippi is the location of one of the largest springs feeding the jordan river.

Marble temple in ceasarea philippi.

It became the administrative capital of philip s large tetrarchy of batanaea which encompassed the golan and the hauran. Caesarea philippi. Caesarea philippi modern banias located 40 km north of the sea of galilee in the southwest foothills of mount hermon was known for its grotto red rock bluff forests and springs. Herod the great was given the area of paneion later to be known as caesarea philippi by caesar augustus in 20 bc.

And when caesar had further bestowed upon him another additional country he built there also a temple of white marble hard by the fountains of jordan. In honor of augustus visit to the area herod the great built three temples to augustus called augusteums. As pan the greek god of pastoralism was often worshipped in caves it was perhaps natural that the first reference to this location around 200 bce calls it. This spring is one of the two that feed the jordan river.

This abundant water supply has made the area very fertile and attractive for religious worship. Herod the great s temple to caesar augustus. Caesarea philippi also known as paneas to the greeks and romans and baniyas in modern times. Caesarea philippi was an ancient roman city located at the southeast base of mount hermon.

In the year 3 bc philip ii also known as philip the tetrarch founded a city at paneas. Situated 25 miles 40 km north of the sea of galilee and at the base of mt. This is in the area that was given to the tribe of dan close to the golan heights. This was one of three temples herod constructed to honor caesar augustus in israel caesarea maritima by the mediterranean sea samaria sebaste in the south and caesarea philippi.

He erected here a temple of white marble in honour of his patron. The place is called panium panias caesarea philippi where is a top of a mountain that is raised to an immense height and at its side beneath or at its bottom a dark cave opens itself. The city was built near a spring named panias after the greek god pan who was the deity of desolate places. Numerous temples were built in this city in the hellenistic and roman periods.

The area produced a lush oasis of life and overlooked the. The temple sat in front of the cave that was believed to be the gateway to the underworld and where the greek god pan lived. They were located in caesarea by the sea samaria sebaste and near paneon. Herod senior created the artificial port of caesarea maritima on the mediterranean coast and built the temples to his patron augustus at both sites as well as at sebaste near today s nablus in the pagan mindset the limestone cave at caesarea philippi was literally a gate to the underworld where fertility gods spent the winter.