CÆSAREA-PHILIPPI, Bâniâs.—This ancient city occupies one of the most picturesque sites in Syria. A broad terrace in the mountain side looks out over the plain of Hûleh westward to the castellated heights of Hunîn. Behind it rises in bold rugged peaks the southern ridge of Hermon, wooded to the summit. Two sublime ravines, one to the N. and one to the S., open up the ridge, having between them an isolated cone more than 1000 ft. in height, and crowned by the noble ruins of the castle of Subeibeh. On the terrace at the base of this cone lie!the ruins of Cæsarea-Philippi. The terrace itself is covered with groves of oaks and olive-trees, having glades of the richest green between them, and clumps of hawthorn-and myrtle here and there—all alive with streams of water and miniature cascades. In fact, as Mr. Stanley observes, it is almost a Syrian Tivoli.
The main attraction of Bâniâs is the great fountain, the upper source of the Jordan. A cliff of ruddy limestone, nearly 100 ft. high, rises up on the N. side of the ruins. At its base is a dark cave, its mouth encumbered by a heap of débris, partly composed of broken fragments of the rocks above, and partly of ancient buildings. From the side of this heap bursts forth the abundant waters of the fountain. Oozing out of the rubbish over a wide space, the spring itself has not so striking an appearance as its sister at Tell el-Kâdy ; but the waters soon collect into a rapid torrent which foams down a rocky bed, scattering its spray over thickets of oleander, and farther on dashing among fallen columns and prostrate ruins, and at length plunging over a precipice into a deep dark ravine. This fountain was the parent of the city, as the cave above it was of the sanctuary that gave the city its name Paneas. In Greece the worship of the sylvan Pan was always associated with caves and grottos; and the Grecian settlers in Syria soon saw the suitableness of this spot for a sanctuary of their favourite deity. Greek inscriptions in the face of the cliff still tell the story of the grotto. The Romans succeeded the Greeks as well in their superstitions as in their possessions ; and the splendid temple built by Herod the Great in honour of Augustus stood on this spot. A remnant of the old sanctity clings to the place still in the shape of a little wely perched on a ledge of a rock, dedicated to el-Khudr, the Muslem St. George, and kept by a santon of venerable aspect.
The ruins of the city extend from the base of the cliff on the N., to the banks of a picturesque ravine some 300 or 400 yds. Southward. The stream from the great fountain bounds the site on the N.W. and W., and then falls into this ravine, so that the city thus stood within the angle formed by the junction of 2 wadys, or rather chasms. The most conspicuous ruin is the citadel—a quadrangle some 4 acres in extent, surrounded by a'massive wall, with heavy towers at the angles and along the sides. On the E., S., and W. the walls are still from 10 to 20 ft. high, though broken and shattered. The northern and western walls are washed by the stream from the fountain ; along the eastern wall is a deep moat; while the southern is carried along the brow of the chasm called Wady Za‘ârch. This chasm is spanned by a bridge, from which a fine gateway opens into the citadel. The substructions of the bridge, the gateway, and the round corner-towers of the citadel are all of high antiquity, being constructed of large bevelled stones. They have been repaired, however, as we learn from an Arabic inscription over the gate, in comparatively recent times. The most striking view of the site and surrounding scenery is obtained from the S. bank of Wady Za’âreh, a few paces below the bridge. The chasm is at our feet, with the streamlet dashing through it amid rocks and clumps of. oleanders; then we have the old bridge garlanded with creepers and long trails of ferns; then the crumbling walls and towers of the citadel; then the wooded slopes around, with the castle of Subeibeh towering high over all. The ruins of the ancient town cover the S. bank of Wady Za’âreh, with a portion of the level ground to the W. and N.W. of the citadel. Great numbers of granite and limestone shafts lie scattered about amid heaps of hewn stones. All is now ruin and confusion, beautified by the abundant waters and rank vegetation. The modern village consists of some 40 houses huddled together in a corner of the citadel—that of the sheikh crowning a massive tower of the north-eastern angle. Each house has got on its flat roof a little arbour formed of branches of trees; in these the inhabitants sleep during the summer, so as to escape the multitudes of scorpions, fleas, and other creatures that swarm in every dwelling.
Of the founding of Paneas we learn nothing from history. Such a site would scarcely be overlooked when Laish, and Kadesh, and Abel, and Ijon were built; and we may safely conclude that some ancient city then stood beside this noble fountain, and probably some Phoenician or Canaanite sanctuary preceded the Panium of the Greeks in this rock grotto. Dr. Robinson suggests that it maybe that “ Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon, under Mount Hermon,” which formed the northern limit of Joshua's conquests (Josh. xi. 17); and which appears to have been in that remote age what Dan subsequently became, the recognised border-city of Palestine. “From Baal-Gad to mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir,” was the original form of “from Dan to Beersheba.” (Id. xii. 7.) A comparison of Jud. iii. 3, 1 Chron. v. 23, and Josh. xiii. 5, shows that Baal-gad could not have been very far from this place; and until some further light is thrown upon the subject, we may, at least, suppose that by this noble fountain, in the midst of this splendid Alpine scenery, the old Syrians established the worship of one of their Baals.
It was only under the rule of Herod the Great that the city became historic. ~Then Josephus relates that “Herod, having accompanied Cæsar (Augustus) to the sea, and returned home, erected to him a_ beautiful temple of white marble near the place called Panium. This is a fine cave in a mountain, under which there is a great cavity in the earth, abrupt, deep, and full of water. Over it hangs a vast mountain ; and under the cavern rise the springs of the river Jordan. Herod adorned this place, which was already a very remarkable one, still farther by erection of this temple, which he dedicated to Cæsar.” (Ant. xv. 10, 3.) The ruins of the temple are now probably deeply buried in the cavern ; and the sculptured niches in the face of the cliff, with their Greek inscriptions, are the only memorials of the old sanctuary. The longest of these inscriptions tells us that the little niche over it, perhaps also a temple beside it, was consecrated by a “ priest of Pan,” At a later period this city was included in the territory of Philip “‘tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis” (Luke iii. 1), who rebuilt or enlarged it, and gave it the name “Cæsarea,” in honour of Tiberius Cæsar, adding “ Philippi” to distinguish it from Cærea on the coast. (Joseph. Ant. xviii. 2,1; B.J. ii. 9-1.) Thus, as the favourite Greek deity Pan had superseded the older Syrian Baal, so now the Roman hero-god supplanted them both. But the name Paneas had become too deeply impressed on the people of the land to be abolished by the will of a prince ; it still clings to the place under the Arabic form Bâniâs, while the Roman name has been long forgotten.
But there is one little episode in the history of Cæsarea-Philippi which has served to impress it more deeply on the memory and heart of the Christian than all the pomp and circumstances of Syrian, Greek, and Roman idolatry. Our Lord, after healing the blind man at Bethsaida on the N.E. corner of the Sea of Galilee, “came into the coasts of Cæsarea-Philippi.” He probably travelled up through the fertile region along the E. bank of the Jordan and lake of Merom. On reaching the “coasts,” perhaps on arriving at the city itself, He asked His disciples the question “ Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?’’ And then followed it by another still more important, “ Whom say ye that I am?” Peter immediately responded, confessing His Divinity.
The confession was followed by a declaration which has given rise to more keen and bitter controversy, and has been the innocent groundwork of more unwarrantable assumptions, than any other passage of Scripture. The words “ Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” are not only inscribed round the dome of St. Peter’s, but they form the basis of the church of Rome. The form of expression may possibly have been suggested, as Mr. Stanley observes, by the great cliff that impends over the fountain of the Jordan. 6 days afterwards, while still in the same region, Christ took 3 of his disciples, and led them up “into an high mountain,” and was transfigured before them.” (Matt. xvi. 13-20 ; xvii.1-13.) Standing amid the ruins of Cæsarea we do not need to ask where that “high mountain” is. The lofty ridge of Hermon rises over us; and probably on one or other of those wooded peaks above us that wondrous event took place. No other mountain in Palestine seems so appropriate to the circumstances of the whole scene. Cæsarea-Philippi was the northern limit of the Saviour’s wanderings ; and the Transfiguration was one of the last episodes in His life in Galilee. His work of teaching was well nigh accomplished ; and He set His face for the last time “to go up to Jerusalem.”’ (Luke ix. 51.)
The next important incident in the history of this city was the exhibition of games and public spectacles by Titus after the capture of Jerusalem. The poor captive Jews were compelled to fight with each other, and with wild beasts, to please the savage tastes of their conquerors. A curious tradition became current in the days of Eusebius, that this was the place where our Lord healed the woman “with an issue of blood.” (Matt. ix. 20.) He says that, as a monument of that miracle, there was a brazen statue of a man in a robe, with a woman kneeling before him as a suppliant. The statue was probably erected in honour of some prince ; and the attitude suggested the story to the lively imagination of the wonder-loving Christians of that age. The narrative shows that the miracle was performed in Capernaum. The subsequent history of Bâniâs, so far at least as is generally interesting, is more closely connected with the fine old castle to which we are now ready to pay a visit.
Kul'at es-Subeibeh, “Castle of Subeibeh,” generally known as the Castle of Bâniâs.—This is unquestionably one of the finest ruins in Syria; and one of the most perfect and imposing specimens of the military architecture of the Phœnicians, or possibly of the Syro-Grecians, extant. No traveller should fail to visit it. It is an hour’s ride from Bâniâs; and the road is a continual ascent up a steep rugged mountain side. Its elevation is at least 1000 ft. above the town; and as viewed from the W. it seems to crown a conical peak, But on reaching the summit we find that this peak resolves itself into a narrow ridge; having a wild chasm on the N., called Wady Khushâbeh, some 800 ft. deep; and another on the S., wider, but of equal depth. On the E. a neck of lower ground connects it with the mountain chain of el-Heish, the southern off-shoot of Hermon. The castle thus occupies a rocky crest forming the culminating point of the ridge. The only practicable approach to it is on the E.; and there a narrow zigzag path leads up the steep bank among huge fragments of rock; and then winds along the southern acclivity to the only entrance—a small portal in a round tower near the south-western angle. The building occupies an area about 1000 ft. long by 200 in greatest breadth, shaped something like the figure 8, narrow in the centre and bulging out at each end. The interior is very uneven. The natural rock rises in some places higher than the walls. Immense cisterns are hewn out in it, and still contain an abundant supply of water. The western end stands on the brow of the hill, overlooking the ruins of Bâniâs, the whole plain of Hûleh, and the mountain ridge beyond, on one of whose peaks we can see the sister Castle of esh-Shukîf. The masonry of the ramparts here is particularly deserving of attention. It is unrivalled in Syria except by the wall of the Haram in Jerusalem. Many of the stones are 8, 10, and 12 ft. long, carefully dressed, and bevelled. The round towers and ramparts on the S. side also present some fine specimens of mural architecture —the sloping substructions and bevelled stones reminding one of the Tower of Hippicus at Jerusalem.
The eastern end of the site is much higher than the western ; and advantage has been taken of this to form a citadel capable of separate defence. The approach to it even now is a work of no little toil. A moat, hewn in the rock, and a high rampart, separate it from the rest of the castle. Without, the walls are founded on scarped cliffs; and there is no mode of entrance except from the lower fortress. This is the best preserved part of the castle, and the walls and towers are still in places nearly perfect. But few additions were made to the buildings either in medieval or modern times; and all that have been made are easily seen. Yet the Arab princes have, as usual, adorned it with inscriptions, claiming the credit of its construction, because they set up a few stones on some tower. These inscriptions seem to be all of the 13th centy.
The high antiquity of this noble castle cannot be questioned. The massive masonry and bevelled stones are at least as old as the age of the Herods, and probably much older. It may have been intended to serve the double object of guarding the city and shrine of Paneas, and defending the Phœnician possessions in the plain of Hûleh against incursions of the Damascenes. The main road from Damascus to Bâniâs passes down the valley on the §. side of the castle hill. And yet we have no notice of the fortress in history earlier than the time of the crusades, About the year 1130 it fell into the hands of the Christians along with the neighbouring town; being delivered over to them by its Ismaelite governor, after their unsuccessful attempt upon Damascus in behalf of that sect. It subsequently passed through the usual varied fortunes of Syrian fortresses—now taken by the Christians and now by the Muslems ; each repairing or destroying as seemed to suit their immediate objects. At length in 1165 the celebrated Nureddin of Damascus took it by storm ; and the banner of the crescent continued thenceforth to. wave over its battlements, until it was finally abandoned in the 17th centy.