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Monday, August 23 2010
Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the most ancient cities of the world. It was well known in the time of Abraham, as recorded in the book of Genesis.
"14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew [see Hebrew to understand the correct Biblical definitions of "Hebrews," "Israelites" and "Jews"]; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 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. 14:16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people." (Genesis 14:13-16 KJV)
If the LORD (see 'Before Abraham Was, I AM' and 'The God Of The Old Testament') had not given Abraham and Sarah actual children of their own (see Abram and Sarai), a man of Damascus would have inherited Abraham's estate.
"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?" (Genesis 15:2 KJV)
"The Syrians of Damascus"
After King David (see also David, Future King Of Israel) defeated "the Syrians of Damascus" in war, David occupied the city and installed garrisons throughout Syria. Israel reached its greatest territorial extent during the imperialistic era of David and his son Solomon (see The United Kingdom and the map in Solomon's Kingdom).
"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.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." (2 Samuel 8:5-6 KJV)
After Israel divided (see The Division Of Israel), the two kingdoms (see The Northern Kingdom Of Israel and The Southern Kingdom Of Judah) were not only limited to within their own "Dan to Beersheba" borders, Israel and Judah were at times actually at war with themselves i.e. there were times when Israel was at war with the Jews e.g. "12:21 And when Rehoboam [see Rehoboam Of Israel And Judah] was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel" (1 Kings 12:21 KJV). Sometimes, the "king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus" was allied with Judah, against Israel, as in this example when King Asa of Judah was allied with Syria against King Baasha of Israel.
"15:16 And there was war between Asa [see Asa Of Judah] and Baasha king of Israel [see Baasha Of Israel] all their days. 15:17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.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, 15:19 There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
15:20 So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali." (1 Kings 15:16-20 KJV)
By the time of the New Testament, Damascus was already an ancient city. It was while he was "on the road to Damascus" that the Pharisee Saul (see also Was Paul Among Them?) was struck down by Jesus Christ; Saul, later to become known as Paul, became a Christian in Damascus.
"9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 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. 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 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. 9:9 And he was three days without sight [see Paul's Blindness Lesson], and neither did eat nor drink.
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.
9:11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 9:12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight." (Acts 9:1-12 KJV)
Fact Finder: What Greek king of Syria committed the original "abomination of desolation" in the Temple in Jerusalem?
See The Seleucids, Antiochus IV, The Maccabees and Abomination of Desolation - Where?
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This Day In History, August 23
1244: Turks expelled the crusaders under Frederick II from Jerusalem (see The Crusades).
1367: Gil Alvarez Carrillo de Albornoz died at age 57. A Spanish soldier and cardinal, he paved the way for the return of the papacy to Italy from Avignon, France, where the popes lived from 1309 to 1377.
1541: French explorer Jacques Cartier landed near Quebec on his third voyage to North America.
1572: In France, Catholics massacred thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants), under orders of Catherine de Medici, advisor to her son, Charles IX, King of France.
1711: A British attempt to invade Canada by sea failed. The territory at the time was held and defended by France.
1775: King George III declared the New England colonies in open rebellion.
1821: Mexico was declared independent of Spain by the Treaty of Aquala.
1833: Britain abolished slavery in its colonies, freeing 700,000 slaves. Slavery continued in the former colonies that by that time had become the independent United States.
1866: The Treaty of Prague was signed, formally ending the Seven Weeks' War between Austria and Prussian-led German states.
1914: Japan declared war on Germany.
1914: In the town of Dinant, Belgium, during the First World War, German soldiers murdered 612 civilian men, women and children, the youngest a 3 week old baby held in its mother's arms. The Germans gave as their reason that Belgian civilians had fired on them while they were repairing a bridge.
1917: During the First World War, the Ontario cabinet passed an order-in-council that provided for the city of Berlin, Ontario to change its name to Kitchener, effective September 1.
1921: Feisal I was installed as King of Iraq.
1926: U.S. film "idol" Rudolph Valentino died, causing world-wide hysteria and a number of suicides.
1931: Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact (that Hitler violated with his invasion of Russia a few years later), leaving the way open for Germany to attack Poland.
1942: The Battle of Stalingrad began. Although the city was reduced to rubble by the Germans, the Russians fought on, and after 6 months the Germans surrendered.
1952: Frederick George Kenyon died at age 89. The British archaeologist and language scholar devoted his life to discovering Biblical parallels in ancient Greek papyri, convincing critics that science does not disprove the Bible.
1980: The Polish communist government agreed to negotiate directly with striking Gdansk shipworkers.
1990: East and West Germany announced that they would unite on October 3, ending four decades of post-World War II division.
1991: Radical Moscow city leaders took control of the Soviet Communist Party's headquarters, seizing documents and sealing offices, as anti-communism swept the nation in the wake of a failed hardline coup.
