Caesarea Philippi
Caesarea Philippi is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. Known today as Banias. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Caesarea Philippi occupies a pivotal moment in the Gospels as the setting for Peter's great confession of faith. Located at the foot of Mount Hermon near the headwaters of the Jordan River, this city was originally called Panias after the Greek god Pan, whose grotto was worshipped there. Philip the Tetrarch, son of Herod the Great, rebuilt and renamed it Caesarea Philippi — adding "Philippi" to distinguish it from the coastal Caesarea. It was here, amid the idolatrous backdrop of pagan shrines and Roman imperial imagery, that Jesus posed the defining question: "Who do you say I am?" Peter's response — "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" — drew from Jesus the foundational promise that upon this confession He would build His church, and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:13–18; Mark 8:27–29). The dramatic contrast between the pagan worship site and the declaration of Christ's identity amplifies the theological significance of this encounter in salvation history.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Modern Banias (a corruption of Panias) preserves extensive remains from the Hellenistic through Byzantine periods. Excavations have uncovered the Cave of Pan and its surrounding temple complex, niches carved into the cliff face housing statues of Pan and other deities, and a large Augusteum built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus. Herod Philip's city overlies earlier Hellenistic levels. The site today is part of the Hermon Stream Nature Reserve in northern Israel and remains one of the best-preserved Herodian-era urban landscapes in the country, attracting significant scholarly attention.
Verse Appearances (2)
Matt
Mark
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →