Caesar

The title assumed by the Roman emperors after Julius Caesar. In the New Testament this title is given to various emperors as sovereigns of Judaea without their accompanying distinctive proper names (John 19:15; Acts 17:7). The Jews paid tribute to "Caesar (Matt. 22:17), and all Roman citizens had the right of" appeal to him (Acts 25:11). The Caesars referred to in the New "Testament are Augustus (Luke 2:1), Tiberius (3:1; 20:22)," "Claudius (Acts 11:28), and Nero (Acts 25:8; Phil. 4:22)."

"A city on the northeast of the marshy plain of el-Huleh, 120" "miles north of Jerusalem, and 20 miles north of the Sea of" "Galilee, at the "upper source" of the Jordan, and near the base" of Mount Hermon. It is mentioned in Matt. 16:13 and Mark 8:27 as the northern limit of our Lord's public ministry. According to "some its original name was Baal-Gad (Josh. 11:17), or" "Baal-Hermon (Judg. 3:3; 1 Chr. 5:23), when it was a Canaanite" "sanctuary of Baal. It was afterwards called Panium or Paneas," from a deep cavern full of water near the town. This name was given to the cavern by the Greeks of the Macedonian kingdom of "Antioch because of its likeness to the grottos of Greece, which" were always associated with the worship of their god Pan. Its "modern name is Banias. Here Herod built a temple, which he" dedicated to Augustus Caesar. This town was afterwards enlarged "and embellished by Herod Philip, the tetrarch of Trachonitis, of" "whose territory it formed a part, and was called by him Caesarea" "Philippi, partly after his own name, and partly after that of" the emperor Tiberius Caesar. It is thus distinguished from the Caesarea of Palestine. (See [87]JORDAN.)

"(Palestinae), a city on the shore of the Mediterranean, on the" "great road from Tyre to Egypt, about 70 miles northwest of" "Jerusalem, at the northern extremity of the plain of Sharon. It" "was built by Herod the Great (B.C. 10), who named it after" "Caesar Augustus, hence called Caesarea Sebaste (Gr. Sebastos =" "Augustus), on the site of an old town called "Strato's Tower." "It was the capital of the Roman province of Judaea, the seat of" "the governors or procurators, and the headquarters of the Roman" "troops. It was the great Gentile city of Palestine, with a" spacious artificial harbour. It was adorned with many buildings "of great splendour, after the manner of the Roman cities of the" West. Here Cornelius the centurion was converted through the "instrumentality of Peter (Acts 10:1, 24), and thus for the first" time the door of faith was opened to the Gentiles. Philip the evangelist resided here with his four daughters (21:8). From this place Saul sailed for his native Tarsus when forced to flee "from Jerusalem (9:30), and here he landed when returning from" his second missionary journey (18:22). He remained as a prisoner "here for two years before his voyage to Rome (Acts 24:27; 25:1," "4, 6, 13). Here on a "set day," when games were celebrated in" "the theatre in honour of the emperor Claudius, Herod Agrippa I." "appeared among the people in great pomp, and in the midst of the" "idolatrous homage paid to him was suddenly smitten by an angel," "and carried out a dying man. He was "eaten of worms" (12:19-23)," "thus perishing by the same loathsome disease as his granfather," "Herod the Great. It still retains its ancient name Kaiseriyeh," "but is now desolate. "The present inhabitants of the ruins are" "snakes, scorpions, lizards, wild boars, and jackals." It is" described as the most desolate city of all Palestine.

Related Bible Dictionary Terms:
Tiberius Caesar