Caesarea Philippi is a famous location for many reasons but one of them is because Jesus visited it with his disciples, it was a small town at the southern base of Mt Hermon. Compared to other parts of Israel it would have seemed very fertile, almost magical even because of the cave, groto, and stream that flowed from the base of the mountain with lush vegetation on the ground and the snow capped mountain of Mt Hermon above. In fact it apparently did appear magical to the Roman’s when they conquered the area because they built a temple there to the half goat half man devil pan, who was associated with many different myths most of them connecting back to baal and asherah the gods of the cannanites, but the reason that Jesus visited this site during his ministry can only be summed up by what Mt Hermon represented to the Jews of that day.
A brief history of Mt Hermon. In the time of Moses and Joshua when God defeated the caananites and gave the israelites this land that was promised to their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. The land that included Mt Hermon was not specifically referenced but lumped together with the names of Heshbon and Bashan. To any good bible studier that should have bells dinging in their ears because king Og was a giant of possibly 14 feet in height, Bashan was his kingdom but he was defeated immediately after king Sihon of Heshbon was also defeated. Both of these kigdoms connected with Mt Hermon.
Now take a second and let that sink in and your next thought should be a question. Why would God, after having the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years send them to the northern most part of Israel to fight two kings one of whom is a giant at the base of a mountain? Deuteronomy 3:11 even claims that Og was the last of the true giants. The answer is because that mountain has a symbolic significance.
The book of Enoch is considered by many to be non cannonical or not part of the ancient books included in the bible, but it was read and well known to the Hebrews of Jesus day and even quoted by Jude 1:6 and 14 , and even Peter alludes to the subject matter in 1 Peter 3:19–20, and 2 Peter 2:4. So it deserves at least consideration for a historical perspective. My personal stance is that at least the first section of 1st enoch known as the book of the watchers is ancient and has in the very least an oral tradition that makes it authentic, the rest may have been altered or added later. The first 36 pages tell a story involving Mt Hermon and the fallen Angels who make a pact with one another to take human women as their wives and to share in the curse or punishment for it. This of course started the chain reaction refered to in Genesis 6 where the angels mated with women who then gave birth to Nephilim who then gave birth to giants that caused the corruption of all the earth to the point that all life had to be destroyed by the flood accept for Noah and his family.
So if we take that and apply it to what happened in Jesus’ ministry, you may find that many pieces fall into place, and many things make far more sense than they did before. For example when Jesus had come towards the end of his ministry he took his disciples to Caesarea Philippi at the base of Mt Hermon and asked them the famous question “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some *say* John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, ” Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
I personally believe that when he said “and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it” he was pointing directly at that cave and groto at the base of Mt Hermon that is associated with the pact made in the book of the watchers and even the gateway to the abyss or bottomless pit.
Now imagine for a second that the spirits of these giants who were drowned in the flood and whom Jesus had been casting out of people and sending to the abyss to join their chained parents in darkness until the end. Imagine that they are watching this scene when Jesus was proclaimed by men to be the Son of God right in front of the very same mountain that their parents and their beggining had been judged and sentenced, imagine them watching as Jesus 6 days later traveled up to the top of Mt Hermon with Peter, John and James and was transfigured before them. Would this not be a direct in your face way of proclaiming I am here to take back this mountain and confirm to you that your punishment still stands and the time for your final judgment is near.
After Jesus and his disciples left Mt Hermon it says that his face was set towards Jerusalem and he did not waste any time getting there and riding the colt that was prophecied to bring the Messiah. Only a short time later he was crucified on the cross.
It is worth mentioning that in Luke’s timeline after the transfiguration on Mt Hermon that Jesus appointed 70 disciples to heal and cast out demons. When they returned successful he was filled with joy in the spirit and said one of my favorite verses “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”.
The Tree To The Cross 