Matt 16 caesarea Philippi

Location and Setting

Caesarea Philippi (originally Panias) was located two miles east of the site of Dan, twenty-five miles north of the Sea of Galilee and forty miles southwest of the ancient city of Damascus. The site is 1,150 feet above sea level and ten miles south of the 9,200-foot Mount Hermon.
Pagan worship was often conducted near running water, a probable reason why Panias, originally a worship center, was located in the vicinity of the three streams flowing from Mount Hermon.
The site may be identified with Baalgad "in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon" (Josh 11:17) or Baalhermon (Judg 3:3).
A major feature of the site is a massive rock face from which flows one of the streams that form the Jordan River.
The first name associated with the site was "Panias," derived from worship of the god Pan there during the period of Greek control following the conquest by Alexander the Great. (The current name "Banias" is an Arab form of Panias.) Worship of the god Pan was centered at the cave and the spring at the high rock bluff. Several niches carved into the rock are identified as being dedicated "to Pan and the nymphs." Further reinforcing the site’s attraction for worship, Herod the Great built a temple there dedicated to Emperor Augustus, who had given him the town.

Historical and Biblical Significance

Banias was the scene of a battle in 198 B.C. that determined the history of the Jews in Palestine for the next three centuries. After the untimely death of Alexander the Great, who had conquered the world of his day, his empire was divided among four of his generals. At first, Ptolemy of Egypt ruled Palestine. His policy was one of tolerance for the Jewish population. From the new city of Antioch on the Syrian coast, the Seleucids ruled the land immediately north of Palestine. However, at the battle of Panias against the Ptolemies (Egypt), the Syrians prevailed, with the result that Palestine fell into the hands of the Seleucid rulers who were hostile toward the Jews. The climax came when Antiochus IV outlawed Judaism and forced Greek culture and religion on the Jews.
The Maccabean revolt of 167 B.C. liberated the land from this oppression, but it also resulted in extended internal turmoil. This centered largely on the appointment of the powerful high priest who now became the titular head of the nation. Already threatened by the Persians, the Romans took control of Palestine in 63 B.C. to stabilize this volatile situation on its eastern flank. During the two centuries following the battle of Panias, the issues and institutions were established that formed the political, religious, economic and social context of Jesus’ ministry.
When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., his kingdom was divided, with his son Archelaeus inheriting Judea and Samaria, Herod Antipas receiving Galilee and Perea (Transjordan), and Philip taking over Gaulanitis, the territory on the Golan, east of the Jordan River and north of the Sea of Galilee. Following the example of his father, Philip built the first city at Panias, naming it Caesarea Philippi to honor the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus and to distinguish it from Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast.
Caesarea Philippi became a center of Greek-Roman culture, a city known for its pagan worship, its prestigious status as the capital city of Herod Philip’s domain, and its significant Gentile population. References to "the district of Caesarea Philippi" (Matt 16:13) and "the villages of Caesarea Philippi" (Mark 8:27) reflect the city’s status as the power center of Philip’s territory. These factors, together with the sheer rock cliff at the worship site, made this an ideal place for Jesus to make His historic announcements.
Peter’s declaration, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," challenged the gods in the niches of the cliff and their devotees who worshiped these gods as though they actually existed.
If Jesus were standing with His disciples in front of this sheer cliff, it would explain His use of the metaphor "rock" used in His conversation with Peter. The word He used was petra, a term that would be used to describe such a bluff. (Cf. Matt 7:24,25, ". . .who built his house upon the rock petra.")
It was Jesus’ practice to teach in metaphors and parables that related to the physical context in which He was ministering, e.g. "fishers of men" and "a sower went out to sow" spoken on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where fishing and sowing could readily be observed. It is likely, therefore, that on this occasion, as they stood before this rock bluff, Jesus’ choice of the metaphor, petra, reflected this practice.
Jesus made four historic predictions at Caesarea Philippi. They concerned:

The Church: (Matt 16:18) For the first time, Jesus announced His purpose to build an ekklesia (Church), a community of the redeemed, called out to be His Body on earth, to witness to Him while He was absent.
The Keys of the Kingdom: (Matt 16:19) The keys refer to authority in the ekklesia. This power would also be shared by the other apostles (Matt 18:18; John 20:20-23). This authority was given to the apostles to enable them to lead the first generation of believers after Pentecost until the epistles were written, that revealed Jesus’ standards and provisions for His ekklesia.
Jesus’ coming death and resurrection: (Matt 16:21-23) Jesus announced His death and resurrection, the events that would provide the redemption essential for the Church to come into existence.
Jesus’ call to discipleship: (Matt 16:24-27) Jesus used the example of His own obedience to the Father, even to death, as He taught His followers this basic definition of a disciple. After His return to the Father, Jesus’ Body on earth would be composed of those who would deny themselves and follow Him.

Bibliography

Bimson, John J., ed. Baker Encyclopedia of Bible Places. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1995.
DeVries, LaMoine F. Cities of the Biblical World. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.
http://www.ancientsandals.com/overviews/caesarea_philippi.htm