"Ekklesia: The Background of Caesarea Philippi"
by Dr. Patti Amsden
by Dr. Patti Amsden
The site at which Jesus commissioned His ekklesia, announced the dismantling of the doors of death, and empowered His called out with the authority to manage His kingdom was Caesarea Philippi. In choosing that particular location, Jesus selected a spot that visually spoke and reinforced His words. Against the backdrop of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus’ proclamation carried both historical references and prophetic promises.
Caesarea Philippi was located 120 miles from Jerusalem and about 20 miles from the Sea of Galilee. Built at the base of Mount Hermon, the area was replete with significance buildings and natural marvels. Although it was the northernmost boarder or the end to which Jesus traveled during His ministry, it was the upper source or the beginning for the Jordan River. Waters that bubbled up from a deep cavern overflowed and began their journey down to the Sea of Galilee provided a source of life and commerce for the entire region.
The city itself had borne several names throughout history. Although not all historians agree, Baal-Hermon (Jud.3:31; I Chron.5:23) appears to be the same location and an early name of the city that was so called because of the Canaanite sanctuary for the god Baal. Later the area was renamed Panium or Paneas by the Greeks of the Macedonian Kingdom in referenced to the sanctuary or grotto dedicated to the Greek god Pan. During the days of the Roman occupation, Herod built a temple dedicated to Augustus Caesar, which was later enlarged and aggrandized by Herod Philip for Tiberius Caesar. The name of Caesarea Philippi was used to acknowledge both Tiberius and Philip. Today the area is known by the name Banias and is a famous tourist attraction.
The area was well known for its religious significance. Although the history of the territory probably was a site for Baal worship, at the time Jesus stood at that location, two other worship systems were being practiced. One was the worship of the Caesars. The idea of men becoming gods did not originate in Rome. Pharaohs afforded themselves god-status. Greek mythology turned men into gods. Many ancient cultures practiced some form of human deification. The grand temples that adorned the rock cliff at the base of Mt. Hermon invited worshippers to come and worship men who claimed to have transformed into gods.
Even before the Caesar temples were constructed, the Greeks dedicated the area to Pan worship. Pan, whose name comes from the Greek paein meaning to pasture or to eat, was depicted as a man with hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat and is often seen with a reed pipe called a Syrinx. He was not worshipped in temples but rather in caves or grottos and was accredited with providing fruitfulness to the fields, groves and woods. He was also associated sexual promiscuity, non-monogamous relationships with nymphs, and the sexual arousal of his worshippers. Caesarea Philippi was infamous for the worship of Pan.
Visitors to the area today will find the following signs identifying the temple and altar of Pan: The Grotto of the god Pan, The court of Pan and the Nymphs, The Temple of Pan and the Dancing Goats. One sign carries the following message: “The cave is a nucleus beside which the sacred sanctuary was build. This abode of the shepherd god pagan cult began as early as the 3rd century BCE. Ritual sacrifices were cast into a natural abyss reaching underground waters at the back of the cave. If victims disappeared in the water, this was a sign that the god had accepted the offering. If, however, signs of blood appeared in the nearby springs, the sacrifice had been rejected.” The area was dedicated to the worship of other gods and to blood sacrifice. It testified of pagan religion and pagan practices.
This historic and cultural backdrop provided the stage upon which Jesus told His story and communicated His narrative. He started by inquiring, “who do men say that I the son of man am?” Peter’s answer revealed that Jesus was the Christ or the anointed promised Messiah and that He was the son of God. Certainly, that declaration can stand on its own and flows out of the promises given throughout the pages of their Old Testament Cannon. However, given the backdrop, the revelation of Jesus set him apart from all others who were being offered worship at Caesarea Philippi. He was not a man who turned into a god. He was and is the eternal God. He was, and is, and always shall be. He was not claiming a position that was not true. He wasn’t the figment of men’s imagination like Pan nor the pride of men’s heart like Caesars. He is the only true and living God. Peter’s statement was released as a stark contrast to the testimony of the temples of Caesarea Philippi.
More on Caesarea Philippi will follow in next week's article.
Caesarea Philippi was located 120 miles from Jerusalem and about 20 miles from the Sea of Galilee. Built at the base of Mount Hermon, the area was replete with significance buildings and natural marvels. Although it was the northernmost boarder or the end to which Jesus traveled during His ministry, it was the upper source or the beginning for the Jordan River. Waters that bubbled up from a deep cavern overflowed and began their journey down to the Sea of Galilee provided a source of life and commerce for the entire region.
The city itself had borne several names throughout history. Although not all historians agree, Baal-Hermon (Jud.3:31; I Chron.5:23) appears to be the same location and an early name of the city that was so called because of the Canaanite sanctuary for the god Baal. Later the area was renamed Panium or Paneas by the Greeks of the Macedonian Kingdom in referenced to the sanctuary or grotto dedicated to the Greek god Pan. During the days of the Roman occupation, Herod built a temple dedicated to Augustus Caesar, which was later enlarged and aggrandized by Herod Philip for Tiberius Caesar. The name of Caesarea Philippi was used to acknowledge both Tiberius and Philip. Today the area is known by the name Banias and is a famous tourist attraction.
The area was well known for its religious significance. Although the history of the territory probably was a site for Baal worship, at the time Jesus stood at that location, two other worship systems were being practiced. One was the worship of the Caesars. The idea of men becoming gods did not originate in Rome. Pharaohs afforded themselves god-status. Greek mythology turned men into gods. Many ancient cultures practiced some form of human deification. The grand temples that adorned the rock cliff at the base of Mt. Hermon invited worshippers to come and worship men who claimed to have transformed into gods.
Even before the Caesar temples were constructed, the Greeks dedicated the area to Pan worship. Pan, whose name comes from the Greek paein meaning to pasture or to eat, was depicted as a man with hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat and is often seen with a reed pipe called a Syrinx. He was not worshipped in temples but rather in caves or grottos and was accredited with providing fruitfulness to the fields, groves and woods. He was also associated sexual promiscuity, non-monogamous relationships with nymphs, and the sexual arousal of his worshippers. Caesarea Philippi was infamous for the worship of Pan.
Visitors to the area today will find the following signs identifying the temple and altar of Pan: The Grotto of the god Pan, The court of Pan and the Nymphs, The Temple of Pan and the Dancing Goats. One sign carries the following message: “The cave is a nucleus beside which the sacred sanctuary was build. This abode of the shepherd god pagan cult began as early as the 3rd century BCE. Ritual sacrifices were cast into a natural abyss reaching underground waters at the back of the cave. If victims disappeared in the water, this was a sign that the god had accepted the offering. If, however, signs of blood appeared in the nearby springs, the sacrifice had been rejected.” The area was dedicated to the worship of other gods and to blood sacrifice. It testified of pagan religion and pagan practices.
This historic and cultural backdrop provided the stage upon which Jesus told His story and communicated His narrative. He started by inquiring, “who do men say that I the son of man am?” Peter’s answer revealed that Jesus was the Christ or the anointed promised Messiah and that He was the son of God. Certainly, that declaration can stand on its own and flows out of the promises given throughout the pages of their Old Testament Cannon. However, given the backdrop, the revelation of Jesus set him apart from all others who were being offered worship at Caesarea Philippi. He was not a man who turned into a god. He was and is the eternal God. He was, and is, and always shall be. He was not claiming a position that was not true. He wasn’t the figment of men’s imagination like Pan nor the pride of men’s heart like Caesars. He is the only true and living God. Peter’s statement was released as a stark contrast to the testimony of the temples of Caesarea Philippi.
More on Caesarea Philippi will follow in next week's article.
