This is what's left of the city of Cesarria,

Philippi.

It's 25 miles to the north of the Sea of Galilee.

And the first century it was right on the northern most border point

between Israel and pagan territory.

The city itself was pagan to the core, not Jewish.

Pagan at the time was not a derogatory term.

In fact, paganism was the official name for the Mishmash of religion

and spirituality all across the multi-ethnic, Greco-Roman world.

The city was originally called Paneas, but just a few years earlier,

the city was given by Cesar Augustus to terror the great you recognize his name from the Christmas story.

He in turn gave it to his son, Philipp, as a birthday present for his 16th birthday,

which is not a bad idea.

Like, what did you get for your birthday?

A city, you know?

Nothing says privilege.

Like, I got a city for Christmas, thanks dad.

Philipp, in turn, built a gorgeous white marble temple right there up against that rock wall

for the worship of Cesar himself.

And then he renamed the city Cesarria Philippi after Cesar and himself, hence the name.

But the original name was Paneas because it was home to the Greek God,

was temple to the Greek God Pan.

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