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The Banias - Where Beauty and Functionality Meet
Receiving its Hebrew name from a historic distortion of the Arabic "Panias", the Banias is often noted as one of Israel's most breathtaking natural treasures. Located in Israel's Golan region, the Banias waterfall originates from atop the highest of Israel's mountains, Mt. Hermon, trickling down to the foot of the mountain therein forming the Senir River. The Arabic name for this lushes body of water is itself taken from Greek mythology and references Pan, the Greek god shepherds, likely due to the plentiful herding that the aggregated grounds summoned in ancient times.
So as to get the full effect of its beauty, tours to Israel nowadays usually follow the shepherds' ancient paths, either through the Senir River or along one of the Jordan River's many tributaries, all the way down to the Banias waterfall gushing out of a limestone cave and creating natural pool-like enclaves.
The Banias' serene freshwater grottos are a favorite amongst tourists from the world round, regularly drawing droves of visitors on a family tour to Israel or a Jewish heritage tour. But amidst all its beauty, a serious problem haunts this watershed. Geologists claim that climatic and industrial changes, namely deforestation of Mount Hermon-the spring's primary source of water-and a general increase in average summer temperatures, have slowly taken their toll on the Banias, causing its waters to gradually recede.
Despite these changes, the Banias remains today one of Israel's most prominent landmarks, serving both as a site of leisure and an important water source. The full extent of the Banias' importance was indeed realized in the 1960s when Israel forcefully stopped Syria from diverting the Banias' waters over the border and managed, furthermore, to utilize its waters for the aggregation of the highly-agricultural region known as the Hula Valley.
The Banias - A Historical Overview
Though there is no mention of the Banias by this name in the Old Testament, it is believed that the area was documented in Biblical texts under a different name. Baal-Gad and Tel Dan are just a few of the names mentioned in the Bible fitting the modern day Banias and thus historically associated with it.
Unlike it's muddled Biblical referencing, the Banias appears by this name in historic documents dating back to the early Hellenistic period. By the 3 rd century BC a rather large Hellenistic settlement is said to have existed around the Banias riverbed.
In later centuries the Banias waterfall and its surrounding lush land became a stronghold for several Semitic tribes, serving as the battleground upon which the Egyptians and the Syrians fought for ownership of water supply. One of the Banias' grottos is indeed named the "Officer's Pool" and was in fact used by Syrian officers stationed in the area as a spa and social gathering ground.
Towards the end of the 1 st century BC, while already under Roman rule, the Banias became an annex of Herod's Kingdom. The area was passed on to Herod's son, Emperor Philip the Tetrarch, along with the rest of Northern Palestine and was made into the capital of his kingdom. Wanting to distinguish it from the city of Caesarea proper, Philip named the Banias region Caesarea Philippi.
And though the Banias hold no particular historic relevance to Jews (other than it's sporadic mention in the Old Testament and it's being part of the Biblical parameters of Israel), it hold particular significance to Christians as it is the place where upon Simon son of Jonah received the "keys to the kingdom of heaven" from Christ. Indeed, as noted in the book of Matthew (16: 13-20), it was on the Banks of the Banias that Simon answered a question posed by Christ regarding the origin of man and upon correctly answering the theological query was given the status of a saint.
Finally, despite its relevance to the Christian world, the Banias remain a beloved tourist destination for family tours to Israel as well as for Jewish heritage tours.
The Banias - A Word of Caution During the Summer Months
Like the Sea of Galilee which gets extremely warm during the summer months, the Banias is best visited in the spring or fall or, if traveling to Israel during the summer, in the early morning hours or after sunset.
At an hour of the day visitors are advised to take advantage of the many shaded areas in the Banias, made available thanks to the grounds' lush vegetation.
The Banias' year-round supply of water and its abundance of pools, lakes, streams and enclaves make it a desirable destination in all seasons. In recent years, due to its popularity and subsequent littering problems, the Israeli government has enforced several clean camping rules. These days, the Banias is relatively clean and welcoming to its visitors even during the high seasons.
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