Caesarea Philippi

Caesarea Philippi, ancient city of the Golan Heights section of Syria (now occupied by Israel), southwest of Damascus. The city was originally called Paneas because it was a center for the worship of the Greek god Pan. In the 1st century bc, Emperor Augustus of Rome gave the region to Herod the Great, king of Judea. The city was subsequently enlarged by Herod's son, Herod Philip the Tetrarch, who named it Caesarea in honor of the emperor (Caesar), adding Philippi (Latin, “of Philip”) to distinguish the town from Caesarea Palestinae, a seaport to the south. According to Matt. 16:13-20, it was near Caesarea Philippi that Jesus commanded the apostle Peter to care for Jesus' followers. The site is now occupied by the village of Bāniyās.