Israel: Caesarea Philippi

The city of Caesarea Philippi is on the southwestern slope of Mount Hermon and the northernmost extent of Jesus' ministry.
This cave is said to be the birthplace of the Greek god Pan, the god of nature, fields, forests, mountains, flocks and shepherds.
During the Hellenistic period, a sanctuary was built to Pan. There are five niches hewn out of rock to the right of the cave. At one time they probably held statues. Three of the niches bear inscriptions in Greek mentioning Pan, Echo and Galerius (one of Pan's priests).
Caesarea Philippi is one of the most pleasant sites in Israel. It is on a terrace 1,150 feet high overlooking a fertile valley.
The original name for Caesarea Philippi was Panias (also spelt Paneas, Paneion and Paneias). The modern name is Banias is an Arabic corruption of Panias.

In 2 B.C. Herod the Great's son, Philip, named it Caesarea in honor of Augustus, and, to differentiate it from Caesarea Maritima, it became known as Caesarea Philippi.
Caesarea Philippi was probably destroyed by an earthquake in 363 A.D.
The Jordan river has four main sources, and the cave at Caesarea Philippi is its' easternmost source.

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