Marble Temple In Caesarea Philippi

Situated between the strymon and nestos rivers the city was valued in antiquity for its nearby gold mines.

Marble temple in caesarea philippi. Caesarea maritima ˌ s ɛ s ə ˈ r iː ə m ə ˈ r ɪ t ɪ m ə. The city and harbour were built under herod the great during c. 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. παράλιος καισάρεια parálios kaisáreia formerly strato s tower also known as caesarea palestinae was an ancient city in the sharon plain on the coast of the mediterranean now in ruins and included in an israeli national park.

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. Herod the great was given the area of paneion later to be known as caesarea philippi by caesar augustus in 20 bc. 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. 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.

In honor of augustus visit to the area herod the great built three temples to augustus called augusteums. 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. Local tradition has it that the first bishop was the erastus mentioned in saint paul s letter to the romans romans 16 23. Caesarea philippi also known as paneas to the greeks and romans and baniyas in modern times.

Paul became an important. 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 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. Philippi was an important city in eastern macedon which flourished in the hellenistic roman and byzantine periods.

Paneas formed part of the tetrarchy of philip. An earthquake in 363 c e likely destroyed the city. The area produced a lush oasis of life and overlooked the. 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.

Caesarea philippi became the seat of a bishop at an early date. 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. Herod the great s temple to caesar augustus. In caesarea philippi there was once a magnificent temple of white marble built by herod the great to the godhead of caesar.