Caesarea Phillippi (Banyas)

It was here at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus revealed his divine nature to Peter. Now known as Banyas, this park and reserve was a very memorable location because of its dramatic temples and pristine springs. The 'Banyas' comes from the Roman god Pan whom was worshipped here. King Herod built a palace here and later the muslims had a temple. Above you can see the original temples, and the stream which emerges from underground. In later times, the Crusaders built a church in front of the caverns. From Banyas we drove out to find a memorial from the Six Day War, when Israel claimed the Golan Heights.

It turned out Tal Fahar was quite close, but it took some asking around before we got directions. Most Israelis speak some English, but there is sometimes a problem in translating place names. You'll often see discrepancies between the translated English spelling of places. Tsipori, for example, might also be Zippori.

Tal Fahar is where the Israelis overran a well-defended Syran base situated on high ground, and essentially gained control over the Golan Heights.