Meaning of DAMASCUS

City in Syria, on a plateau watered by the Abana and Farfar rivers (2 Kings 5:12), a region that forms a vast oasis and where the routes to Egypt, Arabia and Baghdad converge.
It is very ancient (Gen. 14:15).

Conquered by David (2 Sam. 8:5, 6), it was recovered by a subject of the defeated king, who founded the new kingdom of Syria (1 Kings 11:23, 24).

It was the capital of several kings who entered into alliances and counter-alliances with Judah and Israel (1 Kings 15:18, 20; 20:34; 2 Kings 8:8-15; 16:5). Subjected to tribute by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser (842 BC), it was captured by Tiglath-pileser (734), an ally of the king of Judah (2 Kings 16:1-9; Is. 7:1).

Later it was successively subject to Babylonians, Persians and Macedonians.
There was a large Jewish colony there. It plays an important role in the story of Paul's conversion (Acts 9:2, 3, 10, 24, 25); At that time the city was under the rule of Aretas, king of Stone Arabia (2 Cor. 11:32).