Damascus
LocationsGeographical Setting
Damascus is the capital and largest city of Syria, located in the southwestern part of the country near the Anti-Lebanon Mountains.
What is the meaning of Damascus in the Bible?
Damascus is a city situated in the Damascus Basin in the southwest of Syria, approximately 2,300 feet above sea level, west of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. It has served as a major political, cultural, and commercial hub for millennia due to its strategic position on trade routes connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the interior of Asia.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding Damascus provides essential geographical context for biblical narratives, particularly its role as a center of opposition to early Christianity and the site of Saul's conversion, illustrating the spread of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem into major Gentile urban centers.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
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Source Attribution
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.