Middle-East Conflict_3 What does the Bible say about Damascus, Capital of Syria? Isaiah 17:1 The burden concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. Please note: This has never happened in history before! It is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major cultural and religious center of the Levant. The city has an estimated population of 1,711,000 (2009 est.) Founded in the 3rd millennium BC, It was the capital of an Aramaic kingdom (11th-7th centuries BC), often at war with the kings of Israel and temporarily conquered by King David. After being defeated twice by the Assyrians, it was definitively conquered by Nebuchadnezzar in 600 BC. It fell into Persian hands in 530 BC, and then in 333 BC it was annexed to the empire of Alexander the Great. The two adjoining areas were unified by the Romans, during the reigns of Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla (AD 197-217). The city was enclosed by a single ring of enclosure walls that are still be identified. After the interval of rule by the Sassanid Parthians, in 636 its fate was sealed permanently as part of the Arab world, becoming the prestigious and monumental capital of the Umayyad caliph. The city then began to expand outside the enclosure walls and enjoyed a time of particular economic prosperity, which continued despite its loss of capital status under the Mameluke dynasty and the devastation wrought during the Mongol incursion.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 10:32:36 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015