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Caesarea Phillipi is at the site of a spring known as Fanium or Panias, a name that has survived in the modern Banaias. In ancient times, it was a giant spring, gushing from a cave in the limestone rock, which is the source of the stream Nahal Senir. The Jordan River arises from this spring and two others at the base of Mount Hermon. The flow of the spring has been greatly reduced in modern time, possibly due to deforestation of Mount Hermon, or realignment of faults in the rock layers from earthquakes. The water no longer gushes from the cave, but seeps from the rocks below it.

It does not certainly appear in the Old Testament history, though identifications with Baal-Gad and (less certainly) with Laish (Dan) have been proposed. It was certainly a place of great sanctity from very early times, and when foreign religious influences intruded upon Palestine, the cult of its local numen gave place to the worship of Pan, to whom was dedicated the cave in which the copious spring feeding the Jordan arises.

When Herod the Great received the territory from Augustus, 20 BC, he erected here a temple in honour of his patron; but the re-foundation of the town is due to his son, Philip the Tetrarch, who here erected a city which he named Caesarea in honour of Tiberius, adding Philippi to immortalize his own name and to distinguish his city from the similarly-named city founded by his father on the sea-coast. Philip was reviled by Jews because of his paganPaganism (or Heathenism ) is a catch-all term which has come to bundle together (by extension from its original classical meaning of a non- Christian religion) a very broad set of not necessarily compatible religious beliefs and practices that are usually practices. His image was placed on a coinThis article is about monetary coins. For alternative meaning see see word coinage. euro coin A coin is generally a piece of hard material, traditionally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is used as a form of money. With banknotes, coins mak, which is considered idolatryIdolatry is a term used by many religions to describe the worship of a false divine entity rather, which is an affront to their understanding of divinity. Many religions consider the beliefs or practices of other religions to be idolatrous. The concept of by them.

Here PeterSaint Peter (died c. 67) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. His original name was Simon "Hearkening; listening", Standard Hebrew imon Tiberian Hebrew imon , but he was given the nickname of Peter which means rock in Greek made his confession of Christ as the MessiahThis article is about religious concept of Messiah. For the musical work by Handel, see Messiah (Handel). For the BBC television drama series, see Messiah (television). In Judaism, the Messiah "Anointed one", Standard Hebrew Mašia Tiberian Hebrew M&, and Christ in turn gave His charge to Peter. (Matt. xvi. 13). Many Greek inscriptions have been found here, some referring to the shrine. Agrippa IIAgrippa II (AD 27 100), son of Agrippa I, and like him originally named Marcus Julius Agrippa . He was the brother of Berenice and Drusilla (second wife of Antonius Felix). He is sometimes mistakenly called Herod Agrippa II . Having grown up in the court changed the name to Neronias, but this name endured but a short while. Titus here exhibited gladiatonal shows to celebrate the capture of Jerusalem. The Crusaders took the city in 1130, and lost it to the Moslems in 1165.

Caesarea Philippi should not be confounded with Caesarea Maritima, also in Palestine or with Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia.