Height Matters ... Part 1

A breadcrumb trail Led by The Lord. Revelations, one puzzle piece at a time, over months. Until, finally... He Puts those loose puzzle pieces together to form the bigger picture. This is a long one, but stay with me...

Matthew 16:13 (ESV)

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Caesarea Philippi was an ancient Roman city at the base of Mt Hermon; located in the ancient Bashan region. Mt Hermon was the highest mountain in ancient Israel. Today Mt Hermon peaks at around 9,230 feet. It is a dormant, or extinct, volcano...which I find interesting.

Mountains hold Biblical significance as a place of divine encounters, both in the Old and New Testaments. This is also true for the "high places" of pagan worship. Once the Ark of the Covenant and then the Temple were built, those became the meeting place for Yahweh and Israel. Thus, He Instructed them to tear down the high places (link Deuteronomy 12:2-5)

In Caesarea Philippi, at the base of Mt Hermon, was the Cave of Pan. Earlier pagan deities worshipped here include baal gad (link Joshua 11:17) and baal hermon (link 1 Chronicles 5:23). Throughout time, there have been several pagan temples and shrines built. Inside the cave is an apparently bottomless pit of water, considered to be the gate to the underworld: The Gate of Hell (link Matthew 16:18). The bottom has still not been found. So, the highest (volcanic) mountain peak coupled with a bottomless spring (thought to lead to the abyss) made this a center for pagan worship. A place pagans expected to commune with their gods.

Pan was a god of mischievous disorder. The word "panic" comes from the Greek adjective panikos, which means "of Pan". He played a panflute, made from reeds, which he is credited with inventing. His companions were woodland nymph spirits. (Doesn't some of this sound like Peter Pan!?!). Worship of Pan included unrestrained revelry in the woods, with music on rustic instruments, gluttony, drunkenness, and sexual perversion. There is an ancient statue of Pan engaging in bestiality (Pardon to include that, but the depth of depravity needs to be brought to The Light so we are not naive as to their detestable practices). In some accounts, Pan is half goat, half human.

In modern times, Mount Hermon is located in the Golan Heights: bordered by Lebanon on the north, Syria on east, Jordan south, Israel west. Biblically, this region was a "city of refuge" in Joshua 20 (link to Joshua 20:8). In 1967, it came into Israel military occupation. In 2019, the United States became the only nation to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the region.

The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force was formed in 1974, following the Yom Kippur War. They established a base on the peak of Mount Hermon, with multiple bases close by. This is the highest-altitude, permanently manned UN base. The UN has a permanently manned base on the highest 'high place' in this region. The UNDOF maintains an Area of Separation (AOS) for the bordering nations militaries. Following the overthrow of the Syrian President in December 2024, Israeli Defense Forces breached the Syrian side and occupied the summit of Mount Hermon. The UNDOF continues to man their base, but they have decreased their patrols in the area.

One last thing about Mount Hermon: It is possibly the site of Jesus's Transfiguration. Recall that in Matthew 16, Jesus took his disciples to the base of Mount Hermon. Then this happens:

Matthew 17:1-2 (ESV)

The Transfiguration

17 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

I know this is a lot to take in. It is backdrop for Part 2. We get to talk about what God has Done! Can't wait to share it with you.

In Jesus's name!

Christy Hale

Cave of Pan at base of Mount Hermon