Banias (Caesarea Philippi)

Banias is the name of the archaeological site of the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights. Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great, expanded and enriched the city, naming it Caesarea in honor of Caesar, to which he added ‘Philippi’ to distinguish it from Caesarea in Palestine, southern seaport.

In the past a great spring stream flowed from a series of caves in the rock, leading to the Hula swamp, but now the flow has moderated, water no longer flows from the cave.