HERMON STREAM (BANIAS) NATURE RESERVE, GOLAN HEIGHTS

Most famously known as the region of Casarea Philippi where Jesus called Peter "the rock" on which the Church would stand. Located at the foot of Mt. hermon in the Golan Heights, Banias was first established as a Greek city called Paneas in 3rd Cent BC. Paneas derives from Pan, the Greek god of nature, fields, forests, mountains, flocks and shepherds. Before Pan, the ancient Syrian deity Baal was worshipped here and historians have listed at least fourteen such temples in the region. Paneas is known as Baal Gad (Joshua 11:17) and Baal Hermon (Judges 3:3, I Chronicles 5:23) in the Old Testament.

In 200 BC, Paneas was captured by Antiochus III. The region was annexed to the Kingdom of Herod the Great in 20 BC. In the year 2 BC, Herod Philip named it Caesarea Philippi. In 61 AD, king Agrippa II renamed it Neronias. From 4-7th Cent AD, Paneas was an important Christian center. During Arab period (7-12th Cent AD) its name was changed to Banias. Later Crusaders ruled the city for a short period (1129-1164). The city remained under Muslim rule for almost eight centuries until British and French forces conquered the area in early 20th Century. Banias became a Syrian territory from 1948 to 1967. Israel conquered the area in 1967 and since then it is an Israeli territory.

In New Testament, it was near Casarea Philippi (Banias) that Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16: 13-19, Mark 8:27-30). Tradition says that the woman, who had miraculously cured by Jesus from 12 years of bleeding was from Banias (Luke; 8:43. Mark 5:25 Matthew 9:20). After she was cured she had a statue of Jesus erected there. Another tradition attributes transfiguration of Jesus happened here instead of Mount Tabor.

Today, the whole area is under a Nature Reserve and one of the most frequented tourist spots in Israel. The three hiking trails in the reserve take you through some of the most beautiful spots in Golan Heights like Banias Springs and Banias Waterfall, the Temple and Cave of Pan (3rd Cent BC), Palace of Agrippa II (1st Cent AD) and many crusader structures (12 th Cent AD).