B 102). When was Caesarea Philippi?
The history of this town is interesting. Matthew mentions this town in his Gospel (16:13-20). Traditionally, it had been called Panias in honour of the pagan god Pan. In AD 14, Philip the Tetrarch renamed it: Caesarea Philippi. But in 61 AD, Herod Agrippa changed it to Neronias, in honour of the emperor Nero.
Later it reverted to Panias. Today it is known as Banias, because Arabic does not have a letter ‘P’. It is now a deserted site in the Gollan Heights (Syria/Israel).
This would point to Matthew writing his Gospel before 61 AD.
Version 5th September 2015