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Damascus Acts 9:2 ,  3 ,  8 ,  10 Excerpt Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites known to archaeologists, figured long and often in biblical awareness. It was a reference place for Abraham’s rescue of his kinsmen (Gen.  14:15 ). David brought it within Israelite control ( 2 Sam.   8:5-6 ), but during Solomon’s reign the first of a series of Aramaean kings made Damascus his capital city, continuing to intervene in the life of Israel and Judah until the Assyrian conquest in 732  b.c.  In this series of local dynastic politics, biblical traces occur of the founder Rezon (1 Kings  11:23-25 ); Tabrimmon, ally of the Judean Abijam against Israel ( 1 Kings   15:19 ); his father Hezion (same verse); his son Ben-hadad (I, 900-875  b.c. ), who was allied with Baasha of Israel, but later with Asa of Judah ( 1 Kings  15:18-19 ); Ben-hadad II ( 1 Kings   20 ) and his son Hadadezer who fought Ahab of Israel; and B...

Damascus Acts 9:2 ,  3 ,  8 ,  10 Excerpt Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites is known to archaeologists, figured long and often in biblical awareness. It was a reference place for Abraham’s rescue of his kinsmen (Gen.  14:15 ). David brought it within Israelite control (2 Sam.  8:5-6 ), but during Solomon’s reign, the first of a series of Aramaean kings made Damascus his capital city, continuing to intervene in the life of Israel and Judah until the Assyrian conquest in 732  b.c.  In this series of local dynastic politics, biblical traces occur of the founder Rezon (1 Kings  11:23-25 ); Tabrimmon, ally of the Judean Abijam against Israel (1 Kings  15:19 ); his father Hezion (same verse); his son Ben-hadad (I, 900-875  b.c. ), who was allied with Baasha of Israel, but later with Asa of Judah (1 Kings  15:18-19 ); Ben-hadad II (1 Kings  20 ) and his son Hadadezer who fought Ahab of Israel; and ...

Suphanieh, Damascus ‎Passing through Bab Tuma, or gate of St. Thomas, at the northeast angle of the city wall, and proceeding eastward a short distance, we find a collection of tombs clustered together in a white-domed building, where rest the remains of the famous Sheik Arlan, a poet of the time of Mured Din. If we go through the gate of the tomb eastward a few minutes’ walk will bring us to Suphanieh Garden. The scenery here is beautiful beyond description. You almost fancy that you tread on enchanted ground, the cool waters of the Abana gurgling and glistening on their way, while overhead the branches of the trees interlace and cast flickering shadows below. You can truly say with the poet: ‎The drooping branches touching the cool water, the bee in the brier rose, the wind in the poplar, all this labyrinth of leafage so lavish “checkering the sunshine,” make the place enchanting. Near this is the road leading to the Jobar. “It is a sweet, quiet ride,” says Porter; “the...

Uprising in Prison, Damascus ‎ On Wednesday, May 16th, 1894, the artist and one of the editors had just returned from a carriage drive to Dummar in the environs of Damascus. We were at dinner with fifteen or twenty French capitalists from Paris, in Syria at the time in the interest of their railroad from Beyrout to Damascus. Suddenly conversation ceased as we heard an awful and unearthly noise in front of the hotel. At once we all rushed to the front veranda in the second story of the Victoria Hotel. The public square in front was filled with people, and from the opening in the center of the city prison brickbats were being hurled, and from the top soldiers were shooting at the prisoners within. I had never before seen one man fire a gun at another. The multitudinous roar that came up from the five hundred prisoners within seemed to be an expression of despair, starvation, and utter wretchedness. It was horrible; several were already killed and others were wounded. After an ...

The Hangman’s Tree, Damascus ‎This tree is one of the curiosities of the city. It grows not far from the public square in one of the crowded streets. It is a plane tree with deciduous palmate leaves and whitish bark. It is said that the plane tree was highly esteemed in ancient Greece, and that “the youth of Greece were accustomed to assemble under the shade of the plane tree in the groves of Academus to receive lessons in philosophy.” The immense gnarled branches of this great plane tree bear the mark of hoary antiquity, and its trunk is nearly forty feet in circumference. It is not far from the citadel, and one of its branches has been used as a gallows for public execution. The cedar, the plane and the palm tree of the Lebanon and the desert are justly celebrated, and it is to be regretted that in central and southern Palestine the palm and the plane have almost disappeared, though they were once the glory of Jericho and of other ancient cities. What a lesson the great plan...

Gateway, Damascus ‎On the 13th of May, 1894, our caravan passed through the gateway in the western wall of the city of Damascus, and we found ourselves in the midst of this most remarkable city. For hours before we reached it we saw its gleaming glory in the distance; the tall, graceful minarets rising from her more than three hundred mosques; her far-famed gardens and the glory of her trees. Perhaps one of the reasons why travelers praise Damascus so unstintingly is because of the delightful contrast it furnishes to the treeless, hot and verdureless country through which they passed on their approach to it. After a horseback ride from Jerusalem over a rough road—perhaps one of the roughest on earth—through a country with few trees, one would be in condition to praise any city in which gardens, orchards and abundance of water were to be found; but when the contrast is presented between such a desert journey and the surpassing beauty of Damascus, one is justified for the measur...

Damascus Acts 9:2 , 3 , 8 , 10 Excerpt Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites is known to archaeologists, figured long and often in biblical awareness. It was a reference place for Abraham’s rescue of his kinsmen ( Gen. 14:15 ). David brought it within Israelite control ( 2 Sam. 8:5-6 ), but during Solomon’s reign, the first of a series of Aramaean kings made Damascus his capital city, continuing to intervene in the life of Israel and Judah until the Assyrian conquest in 732 b.c. In this series of local dynastic politics, biblical traces occur of the founder Rezon ( 1 Kings 11:23-25 ); Tabrimmon, ally of the Judean Abijam against Israel ( 1 Kings 15:19 ); his father Hezion (same verse); his son Ben-hadad (I, 900-875 b.c.), who was allied with Baasha of Israel, but later with Asa of Judah ( 1 Kings  15:18-19 ); Ben-hadad II ( 1 Kings 20 ) and his son Hadadezer who fought Ahab of Israel; and Ben-hadad III who was killed by Hazael (843-797 b.c.;  2 Ki...

The Princely Reception Room of a Mohammedan Pasha, Damascus, Syria

Damascus ‎Traditional Site of Paul’s Escape.

Damascus Acts 9:2 , 3 , 8 , 10 Excerpt Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites known to archaeologists, figured long and often in biblical awareness. It was a reference place for Abraham’s rescue of his kinsmen ( Gen. 14:15 ). David brought it within Israelite control ( 2 Sam. 8:5-6 ), but during Solomon’s reign the first of a series of Aramaean kings made Damascus his capital city, continuing to intervene in the life of Israel and Judah until the Assyrian conquest in 732 b.c. In this series of local dynastic politics, biblical traces occur of the founder Rezon ( 1 Kings 11:23-25 ); Tabrimmon, ally of the Judean Abijam against Israel ( 1 Kings 15:19 ); his father Hezion (same verse); his son Ben-hadad (I, 900-875 b.c.), who was allied with Baasha of Israel, but later with Asa of Judah ( 1 Kings 15:18-19 ); Ben-hadad II ( 1 Kings 20 ) and his son Hadadezer who fought Ahab of Israel; and Ben-hadad III who was killed by Hazael (843-797 b.c.; 2 Kings 8:7-15 ) who th...

House of Naaman the Leper, Damascus Outside the east gate of the city of Damascus, on the banks of Abana, is the leper hospital, which tradition tells us occupies the site of Naaman’s house. Naaman was commander-in-chief of the armies of Damascus. He was one of the greatest generals and greatest men of his age, but “he was a leper.” In some warlike expedition he carried away a little Jewish maid, who became his slave. Amid his sufferings the little maid exclaimed, “Would God my lord were with the prophet [Elisha] that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” Naaman went, but Elisha did not condescend to see him. He simply sent him a message saying, “Go wash in the Jordan.” The proud Damascene was indignant. He expected that the prophet would come out “and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, an...

Roadway Along the Abana, Damascus ‎ The Abana River has four sources; one is from Fijeh, under the Lebanon cliff; another from near Amri el-Hamar, north of Zebdany; another west of Zebdany; and the fourth west of Ruklah, under Hermon. The first reference to Abana is in the fifth chapter of 2 Kings , where we find the story of Naaman. There are some charming glimpses of roadway and river—the turn of the road, the shadow of the bridge, the overhanging trees, the crowding of the shrubbery to the very water’s edge, the variety of leafage—that are peculiarly beautiful. To me Damascus looked like a vision of paradise when I first saw it—all peace and beauty. It looks so rapturous in its evergreen bower, far removed from the din of commerce and the rude whirl of modern life and the jarring turmoil of the world’s politics, that one would think that it had never felt the shock of war, that its soil had never been polluted by crime, or that Abana and Pharpar had never been red with the...

Inscription on Bridge, Grand Mosque, Damascus ‎The Grand Mosque of Damascus is one of the most interesting buildings in the East. It is quadrangular in form, one hundred and sixty-three yards wide, by one hundred and eight yards long. A lofty wall of fine masonry surrounds it. A few years ago the building was almost destroyed by fire. One of the most wonderful things about this mosque is an inscription which is pointed out to the tourist. It runs over an arch in the second story. You can see even in this picture the Greek letters which form the following sentence: “ Thy kingdom , O Christ , is an everlasting kingdom , and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.” This is the Septuagint rendering of Psalms 145:13 , with the simple addition of the name of Christ . What a curious inscription to find on a Moslem mosque! And yet, how true it is that the kingdom of Christ is an everlasting kingdom . To-day the power of Mohammedanism is waning. The oriental systems—all o...

The Hangman's, Tree,  Damascus ‎ This tree is one of the curiosities of the city. It grows not far from the public square in one of the crowded streets. It is a plane tree with deciduous palmate leaves and whitish bark. It is said that the plane tree was highly esteemed in ancient Greece, and that “the youth of Greece were accustomed to assemble under the shade of the plane tree in the groves of Academus to receive lessons in philosophy.” The immense gnarled branches of this great plane tree bear the mark of hoary antiquity, and its trunk is nearly forty feet in circumference. It is not far from the citadel, and one of its branches has been used as a gallows for public execution. The cedar, the plane and the palm tree of the Lebanon and the desert are justly celebrated, and it is to be regretted that in central and southern Palestine the palm and the plane have almost disappeared, though they were once the glory of Jericho and of other ancient cities. What a lesson the ...

Mill on Jerusalem Road, Damascus ‎The old Jerusalem road from the Holy City to Damascus is but little traveled and is neither safe nor interesting. Between the shore of the Sea of Galilee and the plain of Damascus we pass but one inhabited village. While we are not able to identify the spot of Saul’s conversion, the scenery of plain, mountain, river and sky is substantially unaltered. Near this sacred spot is this old mill in the suburbs of Damascus. The artist and his associate reached Damascus after a hot ride through the desert. We started from Beitima, about twenty miles from Damascus, at three o’clock in the morning. The stars deep and thick filled the Syrian sky. Our path was narrow and rough. The dragoman forbade us talking until the sun was up. He said, if robbers were lying in wait and heard horses’ hoofs and no talking, they would assume that the party was composed of soldiers and would not attack us; but the voices of foreigners would expose us to robbery, and pos...

Military Road, Damascus ‎In 1516 A. D. Damascus was taken by the Turks, and it has belonged to them since that time with the exception of a few years when it belonged to the Pasha of Egypt. All military authority belongs to the Turks. This is the principal garrison of Syria. The road we see is called the military road because the soldiers use it to exercise their horses. It runs along one of the channels of the Abana River. The walls along the way are of old brick; beautiful trees overhang; and here is a very old plane tree whose branches have for centuries shaded the street along which Abraham perhaps wended his way while he was ruler of Damascus. The soldiers to-day may be seen riding along this road at almost all hours mounted on good Arab horses, and it must be confessed that foreigners are not sorry to see plenty of these protectors. Peace is kept here only by force. The people are ignorant and fanatical, and are conceited enough to imagine themselves superior to all the rest...

Damascus Acts 9:2 Excerpt ‎Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites known to archaeologists, figured long and often in biblical awareness. It was a reference place for Abraham’s rescue of his kinsmen ( Gen. 14:15 ). David brought it within Israelite control ( 2 Sam. 8:5-6 ), but during Solomon’s reign the first of a series of Aramaean kings made Damascus his capital city, continuing to intervene in the life of Israel and Judah until the Assyrian conquest in 732 b.c. In this series of local dynastic politics, biblical traces occur of the founder Rezon ( 1 Kings 11:23-25 ); Tabrimmon, ally of the Judean Abijam against Israel ( 1 Kings 15:19 ); his father Hezion (same verse ); his son Ben-hadad (I, 900-875 b.c.), who was allied with Baasha of Israel, but later with Asa of Judah ( 1 Kings 15:18-19 ); Ben-hadad II ( 1 Kings 20 ) and his son Hadadezer who fought Ahab of Israel; and Ben-hadad III who was killed by Hazael (843-797 b.c.; 2 Kings 8:7-15 ) who then succeeded...

The House of Naaman the Leper, Damascus ‎Outside the east gate of the city of Damascus, on the banks of Abana, is the leper hospital, which tradition tells us occupies the site of Naaman’s house. Naaman was commander-in-chief of the armies of Damascus. He was one of the greatest generals and greatest men of his age, but “he was a leper.” In some warlike expedition he carried away a little Jewish maid, who became his slave. Amid his sufferings the little maid exclaimed, “Would God my lord were with the prophet [Elisha] that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” Naaman went, but Elisha did not condescend to see him. He simply sent him a message saying, “ Go wash in the Jordan.” The proud Damascene was indignant. He expected that the prophet would come out “and call on the name of the Lord his God , and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in the...

Damascus ‎In the 1st millennium BCE, Damascus was the capital of the Aramean Empire. At the time of the New Testament , the city again became important. Approximately 10000 Jews and proselytes lived there at that time. The picture shows part of the city wall. The larger stones at the base are the older stones, whereas the smaller stones in the upper part indicate younger restorations. ‎Acts 9:2 , 9:3 , 9:8 , 9:10 , 9:19 , 9:22 , 9:27 ; 22:5–6 , 22:10–11 ; 26:20 ; 2 Cor 11:32 ; Gal 1:17