Banias Nature Reserve

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📖 About Banias Nature Reserve

The Banias Nature Reserve is one of the most beautiful and rich reserves in Israel, located in the northern Golan Heights near Mount Hermon. The Banias Stream is one of the three sources of the Jordan River — and the most powerful of them. Two main visiting areas: the inner reserve — around the famous 10-meter Banias Waterfall, with a marked trail of about 2 hours; and the beach — the bathing and picnic area at the entrance. The two areas are separate but linked by a trail. At the entrance lies the Cave of Pan (the Greek god of shepherds and nature) — a large cave from the Hellenistic period that became a sacred temple. Remains of the Temple of Pan and the statue niches, carved into the rock, are still visible. Beside the cave is an ancient pool system fed by the spring, which pumps 30 cubic meters of water per hour. The reserve also offers impressive archaeological remains: the foundation of the ancient synagogue, a Roman aqueduct, and Crusader fortifications — all while walking through a natural forest of walnut, oak, and local trees. The Banias Waterfall is the gem: the stream waters drop from a 10-meter cliff, forming a natural bathing pool — but beware, the water is cold (12C). The well-marked walk passes over bridges, flowing pools, and blooming shrubs. Most visitors combine the Banias with Mount Bental for a view of the Golan, and with Hamat Gader for the hot baths.

📚 From the encyclopedia

Banias (Arabic: بانياس الحولة, romanized: Bāniyās al-Ḥūlah; Modern Hebrew: בניאס; Judeo-Aramaic, Medieval Hebrew: פמייס, etc.; Ancient Greek: Πανεάς), also spelled Banyas, is a site in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syria near a natural spring, once associated with the Greek god Pan. It had been inhabited for 2,000 years, until its Syrian population fled and their homes were destroyed by Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War. It is located at the foot of Mount Hermon, north of the Golan Heights, the classical Gaulanitis, in the part occupied by Israel. The spring is the source of the Banias River, one of the main tributaries of the Jordan River. Archaeologists uncovered a shrine dedicated to Pan and related deities, and the remains of an ancient city dating from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Herod the Great, king of Judaea, constructed a temple dedicated to Augustus at the site. Subsequently, Herod's son, Philip the Tetrarch, further developed the area, establishing a city. In 61 CE, Agrippa II expanded and renamed the city Neronias Irenopolis. The ancient city was mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, under the name of Caesarea Philippi, as the place where Jesus confirmed Peter's confession that Jesus was the Messiah; the site is today a place of pilgrimage for Christians. The spring at Banias initially originated in a large cave carved out of a sheer cliff face which was gradually lined with a series of shrines. The temenos (sacred precinct) included in its final phase a temple placed at the mouth of the cave, courtyards for rituals, and niches for statues. It was constructed on an elevated, 80m long natural terrace along the cliff which towered over the north of the city. A four-line inscription at the base of one of the niches relates to Pan and Ec…

⭐ מה מיוחד כאן

• ✓One of the three sources of the Jordan River
• ✓The 10-meter Banias Waterfall — the largest in Israel
• ✓The Cave of Pan and a 2,300-year-old Hellenistic temple
• ✓A marked 2-hour trail with stunning views
• ✓A natural forest of oak, walnut, and local trees
• ✓A nature reserve with wildlife
• ✓Close to Mount Bental, Hamat Gader, and Hermon

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