The journey to Caesarea Philippi: "Who Do People Say the Son of Man Is?" By YADIN ROMAN IN FOCUS Following the feeding of the multitudes of gentiles along the eastern Sea of Galilee Shores, Jesus and his disciples proceeded north once more - this time to the villages around Caesarea Philippi, today the Golan Heights nature site known as the Banias. Along the way, Jesus asked his disciples a famous question: " 'Who do people say I am?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him." (Mark 8:27-30). These verses constitute a watershed in Jesus's ministry. The people of Galilee, having realized that Jesus is not the warrior messiah they are awaiting and that he is not going to lead a popular rebellion against the oppressive Roman regime, have lost faith. The the crowds, the surge of faith, the original flurry of success are all waning. Followers abandon Jesus, returning disillusioned to their villages and everyday lives. Perhaps even the disciples are beginning to lose faith. Yet as Jesus makes his way north, following the River Jordan to the district of the grand city of Caesarea Philippi, he makes this important revelation of his identity to his disciples. The Jordan River as it flows south from its Golan Heights sources near the Banias. This gorgeous river canoyon is one of the last undisturbed sections of the Jordan River, saved for posterity by a series of heated struggles of nature lovers in Israel. Both banks of the river fall on the Israeli side of the 1923 international border with Syria, but Syria occupied the eastern bank of the river from 1948 to 1967. The gospel narrative never actually tells us that Jesus reached Caesarea Philippi, implying that he and his disciples went only to the villages on the outskirts of the famous Roman-era city. To my mind, it seems quite clear that Jesus would not have entered what was a classically pagan center, full of temples, Greek theaters, and statues. Sitting opposite the city on one of the rolling grassy slopes that surrounded it and posing the question "Who am I?" to his disciples, was far more provocative. Jesus' message was clear: their choice was between pagan decadence, the debauched world of Pan and Zeus, the riches of the capital of the kingdom of Herod, and the promised Kingdom of Heaven. While in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus then made what was probably the most crucial decision of his ministry; he decided to head south towards Jerusalem and a confrontation with the authorities there: "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Matthew 16:21). It was not by chance that Jesus' decision to journey to Jerusalem crystallized in Caesarea Philippi: the turning point is rich in metaphor. Caesarea Philippi, formerly the city of Panias (known today as Banias), was set in a majestic spot among the lush woodlands on the slopes of Mount Hermon in a triangle of land above the banks of two beautiful rivers. Those rivers today are known as the Hermon River, a tributary of the Jordan that emanates from a spring located in a cave at the foot of a towering cliff, and the swift Sa'ar River, which flows down from the Golan Heights to join the Hermon River a few hundred meters downstream in a dark raging canyon. This lush area thus gives rise to the Jordan River, which eventually flows south through the Galilee and into the desert, a sliver of life in a harsh wilderness, coming to the end of its course in the Dead Sea. En route to Jerusalem, Jesus was to follow the River Jordan along the Jordan Valley to Jericho and from there to the holy city, moving in the direction of his death by following this river of life from beginning to end. The journey to Caesarea Philippi: "Who Do People Say the Son of Man Is?" Banias and Caesarea Philippi of the Roman period Jesus' Mission to the Golan: Feeding the Multitudes and healing the Gentiles Tel Hadar: Identifying the site of the feeding of the multitudes The Golan Heights and Sea of Galilee: Syria's Holy Land claims Bethsaida - A Biblical tradition comes alive again Bethsaida in New Testament tradition More QuickTime VR Panoramic Views Back to Index - Digital Holyland Back to Main © Copyright - Eretz Magazine