Page 79 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook
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That place was Caesarea-Philippi. According to the Greek historian Polybius, by the time of the Seleucid
king Antiochus III (around 200 BC), the site was called “Panion,” after the Greek god Pan. When the
Romans conquered the area, this land was given to Herod the Great in 20 BC. Herod subsequently build
a great temple there in honor of the emperor Augustus Caesar. According to the Jewish historian
Josephus, this district was bequeathed to Herod’s son Philip when he succeeded his father in 4 BC.
Current temple site of Caesarea Philippi – Gates to Hades Artist rendering of what it looked like when Jesus visited.
Philip enlarged the city and renamed it “Caesarea” in honor of Caesar. “Philippi” was added to the name
to distinguish it from Caesarea Maritima, the great Mediterranean coastal city.
The Gates of Hell: conversations with Jesus in Caesarea Philippi
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