Sacrifices were thrown out the back of the Temple of Augustus into the immeasurable water in the Cave of Pan. If the sacrifices disappeared they were accepted.
THE GROTTO OF THE GOD PAN:
This cave is the nucleus beside which the sacred sanctuary was built. In this 'abode of the shepherd god,' pagan cult began as early as
the 3rd century BCE. The ritual sacrifices were cast into a natural abyss reaching the underground waters at the back of the cave. If the victims disappeared in the water this was
a sign that the god had accepted the offering. If, however, signs of blood appeared in the nearby springs the sacrifice had been rejected.”
PER JOSEPHUS IN WARS OF THE JEWS
And when Caesar had further bestowed upon him another additional country, he built there also a temple of white marble, hard by the fountains of Jordan: the place is called Panium (Panias, Caesarea Philippi), where is a top of a mountain that is raised to an immense height, and at its side, beneath, or at its bottom, a dark cave opens itself; within which there is a horrible precipice, that decends abruptly to a vast depth: it contains a mighty quantity of water, which is immovable; and when anybody lets down anything to measure the depth of the earth beneath the water, no length of cord is sufficient to reach it. Now the fountains of Jordan rise at the roots of this cavity outwardly; and, as some think, this is the utmost origin of Jordan: but we shall speak of that matter more accurately inour following history."
The context of the Cave of Pan and the Temple of Augustus give added meaning to the events in Matthew 16. This was the furthest north Jesus brought his disciples and he may have brought them here intentionally to teach one of his most important lessons. Augustus, the most powerful man on earth when he died about 15 years earlier, was believed to be a son of god, and divine in his own right, a man/god. How powerful for Peter to acknowledge Jesus as a son of God in that setting.
Pan taught prophecy to Apollo and here, where Pan was worshiped, Jesus taught Peter the importance of revelation. Further, where this chasm believed to be a gate to the underworld existed, the Cave of Pan, Jesus taught his disciples that the "gates of hell" would not prevail against the church. Pan was a god of shepherds and Jesus often portrayed himself as a shepherd watching over his sheep.
Finally, Jesus taught his disciples here that he would die, but would rise again after three days. Both Pan and Augustus, both gods, had recently died, bringing this message home so forcefully to his disciples that Peter objected and had to be rebuked by Jesus.
It is also interesting to note that six days later Jesus led Peter, James and John to the Mount of Transfiguration. That may have occurred just north of here on Mount Hermon.
I BELIEVE THIS PLACE IS OWNED BY THE ROTHSCHILD FAMILY NOW
