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Damascus

Aram (Syria)

City in Aram (Syria) · today Damascus, Syria

Meaning: “Well-watered (traditional)

The ancient Syrian capital on the road to which Saul of Tarsus met the risen Christ and became Paul.

Location

Overview

Damascus, capital of ancient Aram (Syria), is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It appears from the patriarchs to the apostles, but is remembered above all for the conversion of Paul.

From Abraham to the kings

Abraham pursued the eastern kings as far as Damascus (Genesis 14:15), and his steward Eliezer was of Damascus (Genesis 15:2). As the seat of the Aramean kings — Ben-hadad and Hazael — it was Israel's frequent rival, and Elisha foretold Hazael's rise there (2 Kings 8:7–15).

The road to Damascus

Travelling there to arrest believers, Saul of Tarsus was struck down by a blinding light and heard the voice of the risen Jesus: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:3–5). In the city, Ananias restored his sight and he was baptized.

Escape over the wall

Paul began at once to preach Christ in the Damascus synagogues; when a plot formed against him, the disciples let him down the city wall in a basket by night (Acts 9:25; 2 Corinthians 11:32–33).

Events Here

850 BC

Elisha foretells Hazael becoming king of Damascus

2 Kings 8:13
34 AD

Saul meets the risen Christ on the road to Damascus

Acts 9:4
34 AD

Disciples lower Paul over the wall in a basket to escape

Acts 9:25

Scripture References

55 verses
Genesis2 verses

Genesis 14:15

And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

Genesis 15:2

And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

2 Samuel2 verses

2 Samuel 8:5

And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

2 Samuel 8:6

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

1 Kings4 verses

1 Kings 11:24

And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

1 Kings 15:18

Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

1 Kings 19:15

And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

1 Kings 20:34

And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

2 Kings8 verses

2 Kings 5:12

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. Abana: or, Amana

2 Kings 8:7

And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.

2 Kings 8:9

So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? with: Heb. in his hand

2 Kings 14:28

Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2 Kings 16:9

And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. Damascus: Heb. Dammesek

2 Kings 16:10

And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. Damascus: Heb. Dammesek

2 Kings 16:11

And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

2 Kings 16:12

And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.

1 Chronicles1 verse

1 Chronicles 18:5

And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. Damascus: Heb. Darmesek

2 Chronicles4 verses

2 Chronicles 16:2

Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, Damascus: Heb. Darmesek

2 Chronicles 24:23

And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus. at the: Heb. in the revolution of the year Damascus: Heb. Darmesek

2 Chronicles 28:5

Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. Damascus: Heb. Darmesek

2 Chronicles 28:23

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. Damascus: Heb. Darmesek

Song of Solomon1 verse

Song of Solomon 7:4

Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.

Isaiah5 verses

Isaiah 7:8

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. that: Heb. from a people

Isaiah 8:4

For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria. the riches: or, he that is before the king of Assyria shall take away the riches, etc

Isaiah 10:9

Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

Isaiah 17:1

The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

Isaiah 17:3

The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah3 verses

Jeremiah 49:23

Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet. fainthearted: Heb. melted on: or, as on the sea

Jeremiah 49:24

Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

Jeremiah 49:27

And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.

Ezekiel5 verses

Ezekiel 27:18

Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon, and white wool.

Ezekiel 47:16

Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran. Hazarhatticon: or, the middle village

Ezekiel 47:17

And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

Ezekiel 47:18

And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. from (Hauran, Damascus, Gilead, the land): Heb. from between

Ezekiel 48:1

Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan. a portion: Heb. one portion

Amos4 verses

Amos 1:3

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: and: or, yea, for four turn: or, convert it, or, let it be quiet

Amos 1:5

I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD. the plain: or, Bikathaven the house: or, Betheden

Amos 3:12

Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. taketh: Heb. delivereth in Damascus: or, on the bed's feet

Amos 5:27

Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

Zechariah1 verse

Zechariah 9:1

The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.

Acts13 verses

Acts 9:2

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. of this way: Gr. of the way

Acts 9:3

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

Acts 9:8

And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

Acts 9:10

And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

Acts 9:19

And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

Acts 9:22

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

Acts 9:27

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Acts 22:5

As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

Acts 22:6

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

Acts 22:10

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

Acts 22:11

And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

Acts 26:12

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

Acts 26:20

But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

2 Corinthians1 verse

2 Corinthians 11:32

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

Galatians1 verse

Galatians 1:17

Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Archaeology & History

Damascus sits in a fertile oasis watered by the Barada (the biblical Abana). "Straight" — the street where Paul lodged (Acts 9:11) — corresponds to the Via Recta, the Roman east–west thoroughfare still traceable in the old city. The city has been ruled in turn by Arameans, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and later powers.

People who appear here

David4×
Asa2×
Hazael2×
Ahaz2×
Abraham1×
Eliezer1×
Ahab1×
Elisha1×
Jeroboam1×
Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz1×
Jesus1×
Barnabas1×

Frequently asked about Damascus

Where is Damascus today?

Today, Damascus corresponds to Damascus, Syria.

What does the name Damascus mean?

The name Damascus means “Well-watered (traditional)”.

What happened at Damascus in the Bible?

Key biblical events at Damascus include elisha foretells hazael becoming king of damascus; saul meets the risen christ on the road to damascus; disciples lower paul over the wall in a basket to escape.

Where is Damascus first mentioned in the Bible?

Damascus is first mentioned in Genesis 14:15.

How often is Damascus mentioned in the Bible?

Damascus is mentioned in 55 verses across 15 books: Genesis, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Zechariah, Acts, 2 Corinthians, Galatians.

What happened on the road to Damascus?

Saul of Tarsus, on his way to arrest Christians, was struck blind by a light from heaven and met the risen Jesus. He was converted, baptized in Damascus, and became the apostle Paul.

Is Damascus still inhabited?

Yes — Damascus is the capital of Syria and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.