Herod's son Phillip was over this area, in fact He is given credit for the construction and beauty of this city during the time Christ Jesus was here on earth. Caesarea Philippi is 1150 feet above sea level, had striking scenery including lush groves of trees, grassy fields, and an abundance of fresh water...it is said fresh water literally gushed from the rocks.
Deep caverns were located in this region bringing fresh water from the snow melts of Mt. Hermon. The Jordan River has its beginnings from the scenic caverns of this very area. This was a very romantic place, and the promotion of fertility was present in the hearts of the people.
This area had a long history...even by the time of Jesus life on earth. The area had been dedicated to fertility cults centuries before...by the Canaanites. They had dedicated this area to the gods of Baal, and in particular: 1) Baal-Gad...meaning the lord of good fortune and 2)Baal-Herman...the lord of destruction.
Philip, the son of Herod actually constructed and named the city "Caesarea Phillipi". The word Caesar was in honor to the Roman emperor and then he added his own name Philip. Caesarea Phillipi could be translated: " Caesar's town that belongs to Phillip".
During Phillip's reconstruction of the city, he had 2 temples built, actually "open shrines", which were dedicated to the Roman goddess Pan and to the Nymphs. These gods too were promoters to the power and fertility of nature. Along with all this, one of the deep caverns that brought fresh water to the area was believed to be an entrance...to the Underworld.
As a result, many gods were being worshipped in the region of Caesarea Philippi, and as Jesus and the disciples arrived, certainly the distractions of what the area offered was on the minds of the disciples, and Christ Jesus was quite aware of the many gods being worshipped. Romance, sensuality, scenic nature, and making love...were in the air as Christ and the disciples convened together in Caesar Phillipi...
Gleaning from Matthew 16:13-16
"Jesus and His disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus had a question on His mind for His disciples, and so He asked them: "With all these pagan religions and romantic beliefs surrounding us, what are the people saying as to who the Son of Man really is?"
The disciples responded to His question and said: "Some say you are John the Baptist (Note: Herod himself had a tremendous fear that somehow John had come back to life through Jesus), and others say you are Elijah (Note: Jews believe Elijah would return and prepare the way for the Messiah). And yet we hear others say you might be Jeremiah (Note: Jeremiah had suffered much for proclaiming God's true message and he had spoken of a new agreement between God and His people), and still others say you are one of prophets of old."
"Ok," Jesus answered, and then He said: " Here is the real question...Who do you think I am?"
Simon Peter spoke up...and said: "You are the Messiah...You are the very Son of the Living God!"
(Note: using the word "Living" separated Jesus from all the pagan no-name gods that were being worshipped in the area).
So, I guess that is a good question for each of us today...."Who do you think He is?"
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