Caesarea Philippi — known today by its Arabic name Banias or Banyas — is an ancient archaeological site in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, situated at the foot of Mount Hermon near a natural spring that feeds the Banias River, one of the main tributaries of the Jordan River. Visitors today walk among the remains of Hellenistic and Roman-period structures, including the ruins of a grotto and temple complex once dedicated to the Greek god Pan, worshipped here from at least the third century BCE. The spring itself, flowing out of the base of a dramatic cliff face, gives the site an almost otherworldly atmosphere that Gates described on camera as "incredible" and "otherworldly." Archaeologists have uncovered shrines dedicated to Pan and related deities alongside the remains of a city spanning the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Gates investigated the site in Season 12 after learning of an active excavation that produced a discovery potentially linking Caesarea Philippi to the apostle Peter and the founding of Christianity.
The grotto and spring at Banias begin to be dedicated to the Greek god Pan, according to ancient sources cited by archaeologist Adi Erlich on camera.
Roman temples are constructed at the site; the Gospel of Matthew places Jesus' declaration to Peter — 'On this rock I will build my church' — in the district of Caesarea Philippi.
A Byzantine church with a mosaic floor is believed to have been constructed atop the earlier pagan grotto, according to findings described by Adi Erlich during the excavation.
Following the Six-Day War, Israel occupies the Golan Heights; the local Syrian population fled and their homes were destroyed.
Gates visits the active excavation at Caesarea Philippi for Expedition Unknown Season 12, Episode 3, "Lost City of the White Jaguar."
Archaeologist Adi Erlich, who was leading an active excavation at the site when Gates visited, explained on camera that Caesarea Philippi had been a place of deep spiritual significance long before Christianity arrived. According to Erlich, dedication to the god Pan began here "in the third century B.C.E.," and by the first century CE the Romans were actively building temples at the site. Her team expected to find primarily pagan ruins — which made their discovery of a mosaic floor all the more striking. Erlich described the team's initial confusion and eventual realization that the floor dated to the fifth century CE, suggesting the site had been transformed into a Byzantine Christian place of worship.
Mainstream archaeology confirms that Banias preserves remains spanning the Hellenistic and Roman periods, with a well-documented shrine complex dedicated to Pan and related deities. The site's significance to early Christianity rests largely on the Gospel of Matthew, which places Jesus' famous declaration — "On this rock I will build my church" — in the district of Caesarea Philippi, making it theologically important to the story of Peter as the foundation of the church. Whether any specific physical remains at the site can be directly tied to that moment remains a genuinely open question among scholars.
What makes the ongoing excavation particularly compelling is the combination of finds Erlich's team has uncovered: the Byzantine-era mosaic floor laid atop the earlier pagan grotto, and a pilgrim stone apparently marked with crosses. Together, these suggest that early Christian communities did treat this location as a site of pilgrimage and commemoration — though the precise nature and dating of that veneration continues to be worked out through the dig.
Gates' visit in Season 12 brought the active excavation to a wide audience at a genuinely early stage of the work. The episode is careful to frame the findings as suggestive rather than definitive — Gates and Erlich explore what the mosaic and pilgrim stone might mean, without claiming the site has been conclusively identified or its Christian significance proven. That honest sense of an investigation still in progress is very much in keeping with how serious field archaeology actually operates.
The name 'Banias' is an Arabic rendering of 'Paneas,' the ancient Greek name reflecting the site's long association with the god Pan.
The Banias spring is one of the principal sources of the Jordan River, feeding it via the Banias River.
According to archaeologist Adi Erlich, the grotto at Caesarea Philippi was once filled with 'very, very deep water,' giving it an intensely mystical character in antiquity.
The site sits at the foot of Mount Hermon, the highest peak in the region, which itself carries deep biblical and historical resonance.
The Banias Nature Reserve, which encompasses the Caesarea Philippi archaeological site, is generally accessible to visitors and is managed as a protected natural and archaeological area in the Golan Heights. Trails lead past the spring, the cliff grotto, and the excavated ruins, and signage explains the site's layered Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine history. Visitors should check current advisories regarding access to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before planning a trip.
The site lies approximately 50 kilometers northeast of Tiberias and roughly 45 kilometers from Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.
Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable temperatures for exploring the outdoor ruins and trails. Summer in the region can be hot, though the spring and shaded grotto provide some relief.
Bethsaida
Gates investigated Bethsaida in the same episode of Expedition Unknown (S12E03), as both sites are connected to the apostle Peter and early Christian history in the same region.
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee lies downstream from the Banias spring and is central to the broader network of sites Gates explored in connection with the apostles and early Christianity.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the other major biblical city Gates has investigated in the Holy Land, and it anchors the broader Expedition Unknown exploration of sites significant to the origins of Christianity.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia