Marble Temple In Caesarea Philippi
Site of the famous battle of philippi at the end of the roman republic the city prospered in the roman imperial era and after a visit from st.
Marble temple in caesarea philippi. Caesarea philippi also known as paneas to the greeks and romans and baniyas in modern times. Situated between the strymon and nestos rivers the city was valued in antiquity for its nearby gold mines. Paul became an important. The area produced a lush oasis of life and overlooked the.
This was one of three temples herod constructed to honor caesar augustus in israel caesarea maritima by the mediterranean sea samaria sebaste in the south and caesarea philippi. As pan the greek god of pastoralism was often worshipped in caves it was perhaps natural that the first reference to this location around 200 bce calls it. The city and harbour were built under herod the great during c. In caesarea philippi there was once a magnificent temple of white marble built by herod the great to the godhead of caesar.
He rebuilt and beautified the town calling it caesarea as a compliment to augustus and adding his own name to distinguish it from caesarea on the coast of sharon ant. The place is called panium panias caesarea philippi where is a top of a mountain that is raised to an immense height and at its side beneath or at its bottom a dark cave opens itself. Caesarea philippi became the seat of a bishop at an early date. And when caesar had further bestowed upon him another additional country he built there also a temple of white marble hard by the fountains of jordan.
In honor of augustus visit to the area herod the great built three temples to augustus called augusteums. The temple sat in front of the cave that was believed to be the gateway to the underworld and where the greek god pan lived. Caesarea philippi modern banias located 40 km north of the sea of galilee in the southwest foothills of mount hermon was known for its grotto red rock bluff forests and springs. Herod the great was given the area of paneion later to be known as caesarea philippi by caesar augustus in 20 bc.
Herod the great s temple to caesar augustus. What is historically verifiable is that the see s bishop philocalus was at the first council of nicaea 325 that martyrius was burned to death under julian. Paneas formed part of the tetrarchy of philip. An earthquake in 363 c e likely destroyed the city.
The district was given by augustus to herod the great 20 b c by whom a temple of white marble was built in honor of the emperor. Caesarea philippi was a very lush place feeding the jordan river her waters and the ancient greeks said the water flowed from the cave but josephus reported that an earthquake altered the area so the waters flowed from underground springs. Caesarea maritima ˌ s ɛ s ə ˈ r iː ə m ə ˈ r ɪ t ɪ m ə. They were located in caesarea by the sea samaria sebaste and near paneon.