Page 118 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies

When Jesus brought his disciples to Caesarea Philippi, the river of Banias
came out of the large cave in the cliff. Pagan religions decided the
mysterious hole with the life-giving water must be the entrance way to a
spiritual underworld, so they named it the “Gates of Hades.” The elaborate
carvings in the cliff face are reminders of how shocking it must have been
for Jesus and his disciples to visit a place with such a dark history. The
temple to Pan stood in front of the carvings pictured here (right).

The god Pan was worshiped here, which led to the name of the community (Banias). Half man, half goat,
the worship of Pan could be very frightening. Words like “panic,” “pandemic,” and “pandemonium”
spring from the way people felt about this cult.

The worship of Baal and Asherah also found a home here. In that pagan belief system, the gods went
underground, to “Hades” each winter. According to these beliefs, it was important to draw the gods out
of Hades each spring so the land, crops, and families would be fertile. The mysterious cave that offered
never-ending water became known as the “Gates of Hades.” Some of the pagan practices designed to
draw Baal and Asherah out of their winter hibernation included child sacrifice. Elijah referred to these
beliefs in his battle with the prophets of Baal on top of Mount Carmel.

At noon, Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in
thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” - 1 Kings 18:27

Philip, one of the sons of Herod the Great, was given control of this region shortly after Jesus was born.
He renamed Banias after the Roman emperor and himself, calling it Caesarea Philippi. By that time,
there was also a new temple on the cliff, one designed to honor the emperor as god on earth. The
temple was built over the cave opening so that the water flowed through the temple and became,
symbolically, a gift from the Roman ruler.

Jesus led his young disciples to the “region of Caesarea Philippi” (Matthew 16:13), which must have
shocked them. There was no synagogue in Banias. There were no faithful Jewish people there. Instead,
there was practically a cafeteria of pagan religions on display!
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