Dan to Temple of Omrit

It's difficult to imagine how pagan much of Judea had become by the time Jesus lived. When Jesus traveled to Caesarea Philippi, he was very near two locations that can help you illustrate how far some of the people had strayed from God. 

The ruins of Dan are featured in another video. A golden calf stood there for centuries, until the entire tribe of Dan was destroyed by invading forces. Dan was only three miles west of Caesarea Philippi, which featured a temple honoring the Roman emperor as divine. 

Another temple to the emperor was at nearby Omrit (three miles to the southwest), and those ruins have been visible since 1999. This video shows the ruins of that temple.

With two temples honoring the emperor as a "son of the gods" and the history of Dan's golden calf, this region could be called the darkest spiritual corner of Israel. It's amazing Jesus visited Caesarea Philippi. It's a clear example of how Jesus brought light to the darkness. It's also telling that he took his disciples on the road trip. He expected them to do the same thing!

For more context, watch the videos we've provided on Days 26, 28 and 29 from our Gospel of Mark reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app.