Caesarea Philippi / Paneas
- SCHOLARLY AND FICTIONAL WORKS: see Category:Caesarea Philippi (subject)
- ANCIENT SOURCES: see Caesarea Philippi (sources)
Caesarea Philippi (Banias, Paneas) (now in the Golan Heights) was a Hellenistic town.
Overview
Paneas was first settled in the Ptolemaic period and named in honor of the god Pan. The Seleucids built a temple there.
The region was annexed to the kingdom of Herod the Great. After his death, Herod Philip founded a city at Paneas in 3 BCE as the administrative capital of the Tetrarchy of Batanaea. The city was named Caesarea in 14 CE in honor of the deceased emperor Augustus.
When Herod Philip died, the city was incorporated in the Province of Syria. Later, between 61 and 68 CE, when Herod Agrippa II ruled on the region, the city was briefly renamed Neronia in honor of Emperor Nero.
During the Jewish War, the city served as a Roman stronghold for the invading troops.
The city continued to flourish in the Christian and Muslim periods, but lost importance in modern times.
Caesarea Philippi in ancient sources
Caesarea Philippi in Scholarship
Excavations were conducted at the site by Zvi Uri Ma'oz on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Caesarea Philippi in Fiction
Related categories
References
- Caesarea Philippi / John R. McRay / In: Dictionary of New Testament Background (2000 Evans & Porter), dictionary, 178-179.