The pagans of Jesus' day commonly believed that their fertility gods lived in the underworld during the winter and returned to earth each spring. At one time, the water ran directly from the mouth of a cave set in the bottom of the cliff. They committed detestable acts to worship these false gods.Ĭaesarea Philippi's location was especially unique because it stood at the base of a cliff where spring water flowed. To the pagan mind, the cave at Caesarea Philippi created a gate to the underworld, where fertility gods lived during the winter. In that pagan setting, he encouraged his disciples to build a church that would overcome the worst evils. Interestingly, Jesus chose to deliver a sort of "graduation speech" to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi.
In the cliff that stood above the city, local people built shrines and temples to Pan. But Caesarea Philippi continued to focus on worship of Greek gods. Years later, when Romans conquered the territory, Herod Philip rebuilt the city and named it after himself. The Greeks named the city Panias in his honor. Eventually, worship of the baals was replaced with worship of Greek fertility gods.Ĭaesarea Philippi, which stood in a lush area near the foot of Mount Hermon, became the religious center for worship of the Greek god, Pan. In the nearby city of Dan, Israelite king Jeroboam built the high place that angered God and eventually led the Israelites to worship false gods. In Old Testament times, the northeastern area of Israel became a center for Baal worship. But the city's religious practices were vastly different from those of the nearby Jewish towns. Caesarea Philippi, which stood in a lush area near the foot of Mount Hermon, was a city dominated by immoral activities and pagan worship.Ĭaesarea Philippi stood only twenty-five miles from the religious communities of Galilee.
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