Damascus

33°30′N, 36°18′E · Capital of the Decapolis

Historical Overview

Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It was the capital of the Aramean kingdom in the Old Testament, and by the first century it was a major city of the Decapolis, a league of ten Hellenistic cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire.

There was a substantial Jewish community in Damascus in the first century. Josephus records that the city had a large Jewish population, and the New Testament describes synagogues there (Acts 9:2). It was to these synagogues that Saul of Tarsus was travelling when he was confronted by the risen Christ on the road.

What the Archaeology Shows

Damascus has been continuously occupied for over five thousand years, which means most of the ancient city lies beneath the modern city. The Roman and Hellenistic layers have been partially excavated, but the first-century city is largely inaccessible.

The “street called Straight” (Acts 9:11) — the Via Recta — still exists in the old city of Damascus as the Darb al-Mustaqim, a long straight street running east to west. The traditional house of Ananias, where Saul was baptized, is marked by a small church in the Christian quarter.

What Happened Here

Damascus is where the persecutor became the apostle. Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel and a man with letters of authorization from the high priest to arrest Christians, was on the road to Damascus when he was confronted by the risen Christ. He was blinded for three days, was led into the city, and was baptized by a man named Ananias.

He spent some time in Damascus, then withdrew to Arabia, then returned to Damascus before going up to Jerusalem to meet Peter (Galatians 1:17–18). It was from Damascus that he escaped by being lowered in a basket through the city wall (Acts 9:25), and it was from Damascus that he began the ministry that would transform the Mediterranean world.