Marble Temple In Ceasarea Philippi

An earthquake in 363 c e likely destroyed the city.

Marble temple in ceasarea philippi.

In the year 3 bc philip ii also known as philip the tetrarch founded a city at paneas. The area produced a lush oasis of life and overlooked the. 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. Hermon caesarea philippi is the location of one of the largest springs feeding the jordan river.

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 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. 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. Numerous temples were built in this city in the hellenistic and roman periods.

Situated 25 miles 40 km north of the sea of galilee and at the base of mt. Caesarea philippi was a very lush place feeding the jordan river her waters and the ancient greeks said the water flowed from the cave but josephus reported that an earthquake altered the area so the waters flowed from underground springs. This spring is one of the two that feed the jordan river. Herod the great s temple to caesar augustus.

In caesarea philippi there was once a magnificent temple of white marble built by herod the great to the godhead of caesar. The city was built near a spring named panias after the greek god pan who was the deity of desolate places. Caesarea philippi also known as paneas to the greeks and romans and baniyas in modern times. 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.

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. He erected here a temple of white marble in honour of his patron. 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. Caesarea philippi was an ancient roman city located at the southeast base of mount hermon.

Herod the great was given the area of paneion later to be known as caesarea philippi by caesar augustus in 20 bc. Caesarea philippi. This abundant water supply has made the area very fertile and attractive for religious worship. It became the administrative capital of philip s large tetrarchy of batanaea which encompassed the golan and the hauran.