Today’s virtual tour of Israel takes us to a tranquil spot that has a tumultuous history. The Banias Stream, along with the Dan and Hatzbani, flows into the Jordan River from the area of Mt. Hermon in the Golan Heights. On one side of the road you can hike along a path to a gushing waterfall where the Banias flows at its peak. The other side of the road is a slow moving part of the Banias that is as peaceful as it comes. The large fig trees surrounding the seating areas along the stream make for wonderful shade from the summer’s heat. Let’s sit together and hear a little history of this place called Banias.
A tranquil spot at the Banias. Photo Credit: Tourist Israel
Banias’ original name was Panias. After the Arab invasion of the land, the name changed to Banias, as there is no “P” sound in Arabic. And the name Banias continues until today.
In 334 BCE, Alexander the Great brought Hellenism to the Land of Israel and this site became known as “Panias.” The name is derived from the worship of the god Pan; the god of nature, forests, mountains, and flocks. Worship of the god centered at the cave and spring located at the base of the massive high rock bluff above where we are sitting. Several niches were carved into the rock and are identified as being dedicated to “Pan and the nymphs.” Idols were placed in those niches and worshiped for hundreds of years.
Sanctuary of Pan at the Hermon Nature Reserve Photo Credit: Trip Advisor
Panias was the scene of a battle in 200 BCE that would determine the history of the Jews in Israel for the next several hundred years. After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided up between his generals. Ptolemy, of Egypt, ruled the Land of Israel and was tolerant of the Jews. The Seleucids had the area of Syria and the areas just north of The Land of Israel. Now, these two rulers went to war with each other. The Syrians prevailed and Israel fell into the hands of the Seleucid ruler. The climax came when Antiochus IV outlawed Judaism and forced Greek culture and religion on the Jews.
The Maccabean revolt of 167 BCE liberated the land from this oppression, but only for about 100 years until the Land of Israel became a Roman province, ruled by Pompey from Antioch. King Herod the Great built here a beautiful “white marble” temple dedicated to Emperor Augustus, who had given him the town. Upon Herod’s death his kingdom was divided between his sons:
Ruins of the Temple of Pan Photo Credit: Laugh With Us
Philip built the first city at Panias, naming it Caesarea Philippi, to honor the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. He named it Philippi to differentiate it from Caesarea Maritime, by the sea, that his father had built before him. His brother Herod Antipas built an almost identical city to Caesarea Maritime and called it Tiberias. Whether the brothers were in competition with their father’s great architectural works or maybe they just wanted to pass on the family tradition, nevertheless, Philip built a city that would become the center of Greek-Roman culture, known for its pagan worship, and would become the capital city of Herod Philip’s domain.
Now enters Jesus of Nazareth, a penniless Galilean carpenter, surrounded by twelve ordinary men. He had been going around the Galilee teaching Torah and performing miracles that caused a great stir in the area. The Jewish leaders were already plotting and planning on destroying him as a dangerous heretic, but his followers were devoted to him. Jesus took his twelve disciples on a ten hour hike to the north, which takes us about one hour by car today. They were walking along the road, in the area of Caesarea Philippi, an area littered with the temples of the Syrian gods, a place where the Greek gods looked down, a place where the most important river in Judaism sprang to life, a place where the white marble splendor of the home of Caesar-worship dominated the landscape. And here, of all places, Jesus asks his disciples this question, “Who do men say that I am?” Let’s read the account in Matthew in order to get the full context:
“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 Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Caesarea Philippi Photo Credit: See The Holy Land
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, 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. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be d bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be e loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.” Matthew 16:13-20.
May I suggest that Jesus choose to bring them to this specific place to proclaim that he was Messiah making this bold statement in the face of the pagan gods who lived in these cliffs for hundreds of years? Many believe that Peter’s confession of faith was the rock that the church was built on. May I suggest that if you sit in this place and look at the huge rock cliff where the pagan gods resided, Jesus might have been saying that he was going to build his church on top of that rock of paganism and that the gates of Hades would not overcome it? For what other reason would he travel so far, his only travels north of the Sea of Galilee recorded in the bible, to say that he was Messiah? Can you imagine how that must have angered those pagan gods? Can you imagine the power of the words of Peter in the spiritual realm? This is not theology this is just food for thought.
One of the beautiful things about coming to Israel is that sometimes you get to stand in the “x” marks the spot places, read the scriptures, and experience the nature and the topography around you in order to get a fuller picture…or maybe a completely different picture.
Until next time, shalom from Jerusalem.
Top Photo Credit: Pintrest
Bottom Photo Credit: Wikipedia
