The Ancient City of Damascus

By Mary Jane Chaignot

Damascus is in southwest Syria about 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
It is one of the oldest cities in the world.
It is known as the oldest continuously populated city in the world.
It is now the capital of Syria, and has a population of 1,600,000
people.
Most think the word “Damascus” comes from a Semitic language, though scholars are at a loss as to how to translate it.
- Various translations have included: "a settlement in water-rich surroundings," or "the town of chalky clay."

Under Egyptian Rule

Damascus was a key city in the ancient world because it was on a trade route that linked Egypt with the nations of Mesopotamia.

These included highways known as “the way of the Sea,” and “the King’s Highway.”

The earliest references to “Damascus” date from the 13-14th centuries BCE where it shows up in inscriptions from Egyptian Pharaohs.

Scholars aren’t positive this is the same Damascus of later centuries, but it is quite likely.
This period is known as the Late Bronze Age, and the Egyptians controlled a vast area.

By 1200 BCE, the Egyptians had weakened to the point that the Arameans were able to take over much of their territory, including Damascus.
During the first half of the first millennium, Damascus was the capital of the Aram kingdom and was generally referred to as Aram Damascus.
According to a story in 2 Sam 8:3-12, David claimed to have defeated the Arameans in Damascus.

Readers might logically assume, then, that for a while Damascus was part of David’s extended kingdom.

However, this did not last long. The Aramean king, Rezon, declared his independence during the time of Solomon.

Several Old Testament texts suggest relations between Rezon and Solomon were always adversarial in nature.

Rezon’s successors took advantage of the confusion wrought by the division of the Davidic kingdom after Solomon’s death and successfully attacked several cities in northern Israel.
By 800 BCE, Aram Damascus was known as the leading city in the region of Syria and Palestine.
From 853-845 BCE, the Arameans and Israel joined forces to thwart various Assyrian attacks led by Shalmaneser III.

This alliance is recorded in Assyrian documents of this period. (Though some scholars think these battles actually occurred decades later.)

In 843 BCE, an Aramean (Hazael) usurped the throne in Damascus and turned against the king of Israel.
With Assyria in a period of decline, Hazael dominated much of Syria and Palestine and captured a lot of Israelite territory.

This changed dramatically in 805 BCE, when Assyria regained its strength and began to attack the Arameans.

Jehoahaz was able to break free from the Arameans, and by the time of Jeroboam (788-748 BCE), Israel dominated Damascus.

Power vacillated back and forth until 734 BCE, when Assyria laid claim to both Aram Damascus and northern Israel.

The city was virtually destroyed in 734, and Damascus as a super power was no more.
By 539 BCE, however, the city’s fortunes had rebounded, and it was the site of the Persian satrapy. This lasted until the time of Alexander the Great, who then appointed a Greek to govern the city.
After Alexander’s death, the city was a pawn between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kings (ca 200-100 BCE).
Unlike the people of Jerusalem, which resisted Hellenization, the people of Damascus embraced it readily.
Soon, the city was once again a capital – this time of the Seleucid kingdom.
After this, the Nabatean people (southeast of Palestine) used it as their capital while claiming independence (ca 85 BCE). But this was short-lived.

It had a large temple and was known for its great thoroughfares (Acts refers to the street called “Straight.”) It was also home to a large population of Jews.
Saul of Tarsus encountered the risen Jesus on his way to Damascus.

Later, his followers would help him escape by lowering him in a basket outside the city wall.

Legend has it that, on the eve of the Jewish War in 66 CE, the Gentiles of the city massacred most of their Jewish neighbors.

Bible Characters