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Damascus was situated on the border of the desert at the intersection of some of the most important highways in the ancient Near Eastern world. Three major caravan routes passed through Damascus. Major roads extended from the city to the southwest into Palestine and Egypt, straight south to Edom and the Red Sea, and east to Babylon. Because of its ideal location, the city became a trade center. Its major exports included a patterned cloth called "damask" <Ezek. 27:18>. Egypt, Arabia, and Mesopotamia, as well as Palestine, were some of the trade neighbors that made Damascus the "heart of Syria."
Damascus owed its prosperity to two rivers, the Abana and the Pharpar <2 Kin. 5:12>. These rivers provided an abundant source of water for agriculture. The Syrian people were so proud of these streams that Naaman the Syrian leper almost passed up his opportunity to be healed when the prophet Elisha asked him to dip himself in the waters of the Jordan River in Israel. He thought of the Jordan as an inferior stream in comparison with these majestic rivers in his homeland <2 Kin. 5:9-14>.
History. The founder of Damascus was Uz, grandson of Shem <Gen. 5:32; 6:10; 10:23>. The Bible first mentions the city when Abraham traveled from Ur to Canaan, passing through Damascus on the way <Gen. 11:31; 12:4>. Eliezer, Abraham's faithful servant, was from Damascus <Gen. 15:2>.
Early Egyptian texts refer to Egypt's control over Damascus, but this influence did not last long. The establishment of Syria (Aram) as a powerful state with Damascus as its capital <1 Kin. 11:23-25> took place shortly after David's rule over the United Kingdom of the Hebrew people. David defeated the Syrians and stationed his own troops in Damascus <2 Sam. 8:5-6; 1 Chr. 18:5-6>. During Solomon's reign, however, God allowed Rezon, Solomon's enemy, to take Syria from Israel's control because of Solomon's sins. Rezon founded a powerful dynasty based in Damascus that lasted more than 200 years.
Shortly after Solomon's death, the king of Damascus formed a powerful league with other Aramean states. This alliance resulted in many years of conflict between Israel and Damascus. First, BenHadad of Damascus defeated King Baasha of Israel <1 Kin. 15:16-20; 2 Chr. 16:1-4>. Later, God miraculously delivered King Ahab of Israel and his small army from the superior Syrian forces <1 Kin. 20:1-30>.
Even after this miraculous deliverance, Ahab made a covenant with Ben-Hadad II against God's will <1 Kin. 20:31-43>. Ahab was killed a few years later in a battle with Syria <1 Kin. 22:29-38>.
In the midst of these wars, the prophet Elijah was instructed by God to anoint Hazael as the new king of Damascus <1 Kin. 19:15>. King Joram of Israel successfully opposed Hazael for a time <2 Kin. 13:4-5>, but the situation was eventually reversed. Hazael severely oppressed both Israel and Judah during later years <2 Kin. 13:3,22>.
Much later, God sent Rezon II, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, against wicked King Ahaz of Judah <2 Kin. 16:1-6>. Ahaz called on the Assyrians, who had become a powerful military force, for help <2 Kin. 16:7>. The Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser responded by conquering Syria, overthrowing the Aramean dynasty, killing Rezon II, and destroying Damascus, just as the prophets Amos and Isaiah had prophesied <Is. 17:1; Amos 1:4-5>. This marked the end of Syria as an independent nation. The city of Damascus was also reduced to a fraction of its former glory.
The exact date of the reconstruction of Damascus is unknown, but such an excellent location could not long remain weak and insignificant. Damascus was the residence of Assyrian and Persian governors for five centuries after its conquest by Tiglath-Pileser. Still later, the city was conquered by Alexander the Great, who made it a provincial capital. In 64 B. C. the Romans invaded Syria, making it a province with Damascus as the seat of government.
All references to Damascus in the New Testament are associated with the apostle Paul's conversion and ministry. During this time, the city was part of the kingdom of Aretas <2 Cor. 11:32>, an Arabian prince who held his kingdom under the Romans. The New Testament reports that Paul was converted while traveling to Damascus to persecute early Christians who lived in the city <Acts 9:1-8>. After his dramatic conversion, Paul went to the house of Judas, where God sent Ananias, a Christian who lived in Damascus, to heal Paul of his blindness <Acts 9:10-22>.
Paul preached boldly in the Jewish synagogues in Damascus, but eventually he was forced to flee the city because of the wrath of those to whom he preached. The governor of Damascus tried to capture Paul, but the apostle escaped in a large basket through an opening in the city wall <Acts 9:25; 2 Cor. 11:32-33>.
Little physical change has taken place in the city of Damascus since biblical times. The long streets are filled with open-air markets that sell the same type of ancient wares. But modern Damascus does show the strong influence of Muslim culture. The most important building in Damascus is the Great Mosque, a Moslem shrine built during the eighth century A. D. on the site of a former Christian church.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
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