Damas'cus. One of the most ancient and most important of the cities of Syria. It
is situated 130 miles northeast of Jerusalem, in a plain of vast size and of
extreme fertility, which lies east of the great chain of Anti-Libanus, on the
edge of the desert. This fertile plain, which is nearly circular and about 30
miles in diameter, is due to the river Barada, which is probably the
"Abana" of Scripture. Two other streams, the Wady Helbon upon
the north and the Awaj, which flows direct from Hermon upon the south,
increase the fertility of the Damascene plain, and contend for the honor of
representing the "Pharpar" of Scripture.
According to Josephus, Damascus was founded by Uz, grandson of Shem. It
is first mentioned, in Scripture, in connection with Abraham, Gen_14:15, whose steward was a native of the
place. Gen_15:2. At one time, David
became complete master of the whole territory, which he garrisoned with
Israelites. 2Sa_8:5-6. It was in league
with Baasha, king of Israel against Asa, 1Ki_15:19;
2Ch_16:3, and afterwards in league with
Asa against Baasha. 1Ki_15:20. Under
Ahaz, it was taken by Tiglath-pileser, 2Ki_16:7-9,
the kingdom of Damascus brought to an end, and the city itself destroyed, the
inhabitants being carried captive into Assyria. 2Ki_16:9.
Compare Isa_7:8 and Amo_1:5.
Afterwards, it passed successively under the dominion of the Assyrians,
Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans and Saracens, and was, at last,
captured by the Turks, in 1516 A.D. Here, the apostle Paul was converted and
preached the gospel. Act_9:1-25.
Damascus has always been a great centre for trade. Its present population is
from 100,000 to 150,000. It has a delightful climate. Certain localities are
shown as the site of those scriptural events which specially interest us in its
history. Queen's Street, which runs straight through the city from east to
west, may be the street called Straight. Act_9:11.
The house of Judas and that of Ananias are shown, but little confidence can be
placed in any of these traditions.
Source:
Smith’s Bible Dictionary
Damascus
da-mas´kus:
1. The Name
2. Situation and Natural Features
3. The City Itself
4. Its History
(1) The Early Period (to circa 950
bc)
(2) The Aramean Kingdom (circa
950-732 bc)
(3) The Middle Period (732 bc-650
ad)
(4) Under Islam
1. Name
The English name is the same as the Greek Δαμασκός,
Damaskóš. The Hebrew name is דמּשׂק, Dammeseḳ, but the
Aramaic form דּרמשׂק, Darmeseḳ, occurs in 1Ch_18:5; 2Ch_28:5.
The name appears in Egyptian inscriptions as Ti-mas-ku
(16th century bc), and Sa-ra-mas-ki (13th century
bc), which W. M. Müller, Asien u. Europa, 227, regards as representing Ti-ra-mas-ki,
concluding from the “ra” in this form that Damascus had by that time
passed under Aramaic influence. In the Tell el-Amarna Letters the forms Ti-ma-aš-gi
and Di-maš-ka occur. The Arabic name is Dimashk
esh-Sham (“Damascus of Syria”) usually contrasted to Esh-Sham
simply. The meaning of the name Damascus is unknown. Esh-Sham
(Syria) means “the left,” in contrast to the Yemen (Arabia) = “the
right.”
2. Situation and Natural
Features
Damascus is situated (33 degrees 30´ North
latitude, 36 degrees 18´ East longitude) in the Northwest corner of the Ghuta,
a fertile plain about 2,300 ft. above sea level, West of Mt. Hermon. The part
of the Ghuta East of the city is called el-Merj, the
“meadow-land” of Damascus. The river Barada (see ASANA) flows through Damascus
and waters the plain, through which the Nahr el-Awaj (see
PHARPAR) also flows, a few miles South of the city. Surrounded on three sides
by bare hills, and bordered on the East, its open side, by the desert, its
well-watered and fertile Ghuta, with its streams and fountains, its fields and
orchards, makes a vivid impression on the Arab of the desert. Arabic literature
is rich in praises of Damascus, which is described as an earthly paradise. The
European or American traveler is apt to feel that these praises are
exaggerated, and it is perhaps only in early summer that the beauty of the
innumerable fruit trees - apricots, pomegranates, walnuts and many others -
justifies enthusiasm. To see Damascus as the Arab sees it, we must approach it,
as he does, from the desert. The Barada (Abana) is the life blood of Damascus.
Confined in a narrow gorge until close to the city, where it spreads itself in
many channels over the plain, only to lose itself a few miles away in the
marshes that fringe the desert, its whole strength is expended in making a
small area between the hills and the desert really fertile. That is why a city
on this site is inevitable and permanent. Damascus, almost defenseless from a
military point of view, is the natural mart and factory of inland Syria. In the
course of its long history it has more than once enjoyed and lost political
supremacy, but in all the vicissitudes of political fortune it has remained the
natural harbor of the Syrian desert.
3. The City Itself
Damascus lies along the main stream of the Barada,
almost entirely on its south bank. The city is about a mile long (East to West)
and about half a mile broad (North to South). On the south side a long suburb,
consisting for the most part of a single street, called the Meidan,
stretches for a mile beyond the line of the city wall, terminating at the Bawwabet
Allah, the “Gate of God,” the starting-point of the Haj, the annual pilgrimage
to Mecca. The city has thus roughly the shape of a broad-headed spoon, of which
the Meidan is the handle. In the Greek period, a long, colonnaded street
ran through the city, doubtless the “street which is called Straight” (Act_9:11). This street, along the course of
which remains of columns have been discovered, runs westward from the Babesh-Sherki,
the “East Gate.” Part of it is still called Derb el-Mustakim
(“Straight Street”), but it is not certain that it has borne the name through
all the intervening centuries. It runs between the Jewish and Christian
quarters (on the left and right, respectively, going west), and terminates in
the Suk el-Midhatiyeh, a bazaar built by Midhat Pasha, on the
north of which is the main Moslem quarter, in which are the citadel and the
Great Mosque. The houses are flat-roofed, and are usually built round a
courtyard, in which is a fountain. The streets, with the exception of Straight
Street, are mostly narrow and tortuous, but on the west side of the city there
are some good covered bazaars. Damascus is not rich in antiquities. The Omayyad
Mosque, or Great Mosque, replaced a Christian church, which in its time had
taken the place of a pagan temple. The site was doubtless occupied from time
immemorial by the chief religious edifice of the city. A small part of the
ancient Christian church is still extant. Part of the city wall has been
preserved, with a foundation going back to Roman times, surmounted by Arab
work. The traditional site of Paul's escape (Act_9:25;
2Co_11:33) and of the House of Naaman
(2 Ki 5) are pointed out to the traveler, but the traditions are valueless. The
charm of Damascus lies in the life of the bazaars, in the variety of types
which may be seen there - the Druse, the Kurd, the Bedouin and many others -
and in its historical associations. It has always been a manufacturing city.
Our word “damask” bears witness to the fame of its textile industry, and the
“Damascus blades” of the Crusading period were equally famous; and though Timur
(Tamerlane) destroyed the trade in arms in 1399 by carrying away the armorers
to Samarcand, Damascus is still a city of busy craftsmen in cloth and wood. Its
antiquity casts a spell of romance upon it. After a traceable history of
thirty-five centuries it is still a populous and flourishing city, and, in
spite of the advent of the railway and even the electric street car, it still
preserves the flavor of the East.
4. Its History
(1) The Early Period (to Circa 950 bc)
The origin of Damascus is
unknown. Mention has already been made (section 1 ) of the references to the
city in Egyptian inscriptions and in the Tell el-Amarna Letters. It
appears once - possibly twice - in the history of Abraham. In Gen_14:15 we read that Abraham pursued the four
kings as far as Hobah, “which is on the left hand (i.e. the north) of
Damascus.” But this is simply a geographical note which shows only that
Damascus was well known at the time when Gen 14 was written. Greater interest
attaches to Gen_15:2, where Abraham
complains that he is childless and that his heir is “Dammesek Eliezer” (English
Revised Version), for which the Syriac version reads “Eliezer the Damaschul.”
The clause, however, is hopelessly obscure, and it is doubtful whether it
contains any reference to Damascus at all. In the time of David Damascus was an
Aramean city, which assisted the neighboring Aramean states in their
unsuccessful wars against David (2Sa_8:5
f). These campaigns resulted indirectly in the establishment of a powerful
Aramean kingdom in Damascus. Rezon, son of Eliada, an officer in the army of
Hadadezer, king of Zobah, escaped in the hour of defeat, and became a captain
of banditti. Later he established himself in Damascus, and became its king (1Ki_11:23). He cherished a not unnatural
animosity against Israel and the rise of a powerful and hostile kingdom in the
Israelite frontier was a constant source of anxiety to Solomon (1Ki_11:25).
(2) The Aramean Kingdom (Circa 950-732 bc)
Whether Rezon was himself
the founder of a dynasty is not clear. He has been identified with Hezion,
father of Tab-rimmon, and grandfather of Ben-hadad (1Ki_15:18),
but the identification, though a natural one, is insecure. Ben-hadad (Biridri)
is the first king of Damascus, after Rezon, of whom we have any detailed
knowledge. The disruption of the Hebrew kingdom afforded the Arameans an
opportunity of playing off the rival Hebrew states against each other, and of
bestowing their favors now on one, and now on the other. Benhadad was induced
by Asa of Judah to accept a large bribe, or tribute, from the Temple treasures,
and relieve Asa by attacking the Northern Kingdom (1Ki_15:18).
Some years later (circa 880 bc) Ben-hadad (or his successor?) defeated Omri of Israel,
annexed several Israelite cities, and secured the right of having Syrian
“streets” (i.e. probably a bazaar for Syrian merchants) in Samaria (1Ki_20:34). Ben-hadad II (according to Winckler
the two Ben-hadads are really identical, but this view, though just possible
chronologically, conflicts with 1Ki_20:34)
was the great antagonist of Ahab. His campaigns against Israel are narrated in 1Ki_20:22. At first successful, he was
subsequently twice defeated by Ahab, and after the rout at Aphek was at the mercy
of the conqueror, who treated him with generous leniency, claiming only the
restoration of the lost Israelite towns, and the right of establishing an
Israelite bazaar in Damascus. On the renewal of hostilities three years later
Ahab fell before Ramoth-gilead, and his death relieved Ben-hadad of the only
neighboring monarch who could ever challenge the superiority of Damascus.
Further light is thrown upon the history of Damascus at this time by the
Assyrian inscriptions. In 854 bc the Assyrians defeated a coalition of Syrian
and Palestine states (including Israel) under the leadership of Ben-hadad at Karḳar.
In 849 and 846 bc renewed attacks were made upon Damascus by the Assyrians,
who, however, did not effect any considerable conquest. From this date until
the fall of the city in 732 bc the power of the Aramean kingdom depended upon
the activity or quiescence of Assyria. Hazael, who murdered Ben-hadad and
usurped his throne circa 844 bc, was attacked in 842 and 839, but during the
next thirty years Assyria made no further advance westward. Hazael was able to
devote all his energies to his western neighbors, and Israel suffered severely
at his hands. In 803 Mari' of Damascus, who is probably identical with the
Ben-hadad of 2Ki_13:3, Hazael's son,
was made tributary to Ramman-nirari III of Assyria. This blow weakened Aram,
and afforded Jeroboam II of Israel an opportunity of avenging the defeats
inflicted upon his country by Hazael. In 773 Assyria again invaded the
territory of Damascus. Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 bc) pushed vigorously
westward, and in 738 Rezin of Damascus paid tribute. A year or two later he
revolted, and attempted in concert with Pekah of Israel, to coerce Judah into
joining an anti-Assyrian league (2Ki_15:37;
2Ki_16:5; Isa 7). His punishment was
swift and decisive. In 734 the Assyrians advanced and laid siege to Damascus,
which fell in 732. Rezin was executed, his kingdom was overthrown, and the city
suffered the fate which a few years later befell Samaria.
(3) The Middle Period (Circa 732 bc-650 ad)
Damascus had now lost its
political importance, and for more than two centuries we have only one or two
inconsiderable references to it. It is mentioned in an inscription of Sargon
(722-705 bc) as having taken part in an unsuccessful insurrection along with
Hamath and Arpad. There are incidental references to it in Jer_49:23 and Eze_27:18;
Eze_47:16. In the Persian period
Damascus, if not politically of great importance, was a prosperous city. The
overthrow of the Persian empire by Alexander was soon followed (301 bc) by the
establishment of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria, with Antioch as its capital,
and Damascus lost its position as the chief city of Syria. The center of
gravity was moved toward the sea, and the maritime commerce of the Levant
became more important than the trade of Damascus with the interior. In 111 bc
the Syrian kingdom was divided, and Antiochus Cyzicenus became king of
Coele-Syria, with Damascus as his capital. His successors, Demetrius Eucaerus
and Antiochus Dionysus, had troubled careers, being involved in domestic
conflicts and in wars with the Parthians, with Alexander Janneus of Judea, and
with Aretas the Nabatean, who obtained possession of Damascus in 85 bc.
Tigranes, being of Armenia, held Syria for some years after this date, but was
defeated by the Romans, and in 64 bc Pompey finally annexed the country. The
position of Damascus during the first century and a half of Roman rule in Syria
is obscure. For a time it was in Roman hands, and from 31 bc-33 ad its coins bear
the names of Augustus or Tiberius. Subsequently it was again in the hands of
the Nabateans, and was ruled by an ethnarch, or governor, appointed by Aretas,
the Nabatean king. This ethnarch adopted a hostile attitude to Paul (2Co_11:32 f) . Later, in the time of Nero, it
again became a Roman city. In the early history of Christianity Damascus, as
compared with Antioch, played a very minor part. But it is memorable in
Christian history on account of its associations with Paul's conversion, and as
the scene of his earliest Christian preaching (Acts 9:1-25). All the New
Testament references to the city relate to this event (Act_9:1 :25; Act_22:5-11;
Act_26:12, Act_26:20;
2Co_11:32 f; Gal_1:17). Afterward, under the early Byzantine emperor,
Damascus, though important as an outpost of civilization on the edge of the
desert, continued to be second to Antioch both politically and
ecclesiastically. It was not until the Arabian conquest (634 ad when it passed
out of Christian hands, and reverted to the desert, that it once more became a
true capital.
(4) Under Islam
Damascus has now been a
Moslem city, or rather a city under Moslem rule, for nearly thirteen centuries.
For about a century after 650 ad it was the seat of the Omayyad caliphs, and
enjoyed a position of preeminence in the Moslem world. Later it was supplanted
by Bagdad, and in the 10th century it came under the rule of the Fatimites of
Egypt. Toward the close of the 11th century the Seljuk Turks entered Syria and
captured Damascus. In the period of the Crusades the city, though never of
decisive importance, played a considerable part, and was for a time the
headquarters of Saladin. In 1300 it was plundered by the Tartars, and in 1399
Timur exacted an enormous ransom from it, and carried off its famous armorers,
Thus robbing it of one of its most important industries. Finally, in 1516 ad,
the Osmanli Turks under Sultan Selim conquered Syria, and Damascus became, and
still is, the capital of a province of the Ottoman Empire.
Source: International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Damascus
Activity, the most ancient of Oriental cities; the capital of Syria (Isa_7:8; Isa_17:3);
situated about 133 miles to the north of Jerusalem. Its modern name is
Esh-Sham; i.e., “the East.” The situation of this city is said to be the most
beautiful of all Western Asia. It is mentioned among the conquests of the
Egyptian king Thothmes III. (1500 B.C.), and in the Amarna tablets (1400 B.C.).
It is first mentioned in Scripture in connection with Abraham's victory
over the confederate kings under Chedorlaomer (Gen_14:15).
It was the native place of Abraham's steward (Gen_15:2).
It is not again noticed till the time of David, when “the Syrians of Damascus
came to succour Hadadezer” (q.v.), 2Sa_8:5;
1Ch_18:5. In the reign of Solomon,
Rezon became leader of a band who revolted from Hadadezer (1Ki_11:23), and betaking themselves to Damascus,
settled there and made their leader king. There was a long war, with varying
success, between the Israelites and Syrians, who at a later period became
allies of Israel against Judah (2Ki_15:37).
The Syrians were at length subdued by the Assyrians, the city of
Damascus was taken and destroyed, and the inhabitants carried captive into
Assyria (2Ki_16:7-9; compare Isa_7:8). In this, prophecy was fulfilled (Isa_17:1; Amo_1:4;
Jer_49:24). The kingdom of Syria
remained a province of Assyria till the capture of Nineveh by the Medes (625
B.C.), when it fell under the conquerors. After passing through various
vicissitudes, Syria was invaded by the Romans (64 B.C.), and Damascus became
the seat of the government of the province. In A.D. 37 Aretas, the king of
Arabia, became master of Damascus, having driven back Herod Antipas.
This city is memorable as the scene of Saul's conversion (Acts 9:1-25).
The street called “Straight,” in which Judas lived, in whose house Saul was
found by Ananias, is known by the name Sultany, or “Queen's Street.” It is the
principal street of the city. Paul visited Damascus again on his return from
Arabia (Gal_1:16, Gal_1:17). Christianity was planted here as a
centre (Act_9:20), from which it spread
to the surrounding regions.
In A.D. 634 Damascus was conquered by the growing Mohammedan power. In
A.D. 1516 it fell under the dominion of the Turks, its present rulers. It is
now the largest city in Asiatic Turkey. Christianity has again found a firm
footing within its walls.
Source:
Easton’s Bible Dictionary