The next notice of Damascus is during the reign of Asa. When threatened by the King of Israel he made a treaty with Benhadad. The latter im mediately invaded the kingdom of Israel, pillaged the border cities of Dan, Ijon, and Abel, and laid waste the whole of Naphtali (I Kings xv. 19, 20 ; Joseph. Antaq. viii. 12. 4). At this period Damas cus assumed the first place among the powers of Western Asia, and exercised great influence over the affairs of both Judah and Israel, whose jealousies prevented them from uniting against a common foe. Fifty years later another Benhadad invaded Israel, and invested Samaria. He was accompanied in this expedition by no less than thirty-two kings or princes, and a vast army. His message to King Ahab, and the submissive reply of the latter, are striking evidences of the power of Damascus ; but God fought for Israel, and by the instrumen tality of a little band defeated their proud foes (t Kings xx). A second time Benhadad tried his fortune in the field, but with still worse success, his army was overthrown, and he himself taken prisoner. The King of Israel, however, foolishly released him, and a few years later was slain in battle by the Syrians on the heights of Gilead (1 Kings xx. 31-43 ; xxii. 35). Naaman the leper was at this time captain of the host of the King of Syria' (2 Kings v. 1). The romantic story of his interview with Elisha, and his cure, forms a pleasant episode in the history of war and blood shed. Under Benhadad Damascus reached the pitch of its greatness. The kingdom now embraced the whole country east of the Jordan, the ridge of Anti-Libanus, and the valley of Coelesyria, while the princes of Maachah, II obah, and Mesopotamia, were either subjects or close allies. Benhadad for some reason concentrated all his forces against Israel, and when defeated through the instrumen tality of Elisha, he sought the prophet's life. The incidents of these campaigns, and the miraculous interpositions of Elisha, constitute some of the most interesting and remarkable chapters of Jewish history (2 Kings vi. vii.) A few years later Damascus was honoured by a visit from Elisha. Benhadad was sick, and in his sufferings he sought the aid of his old enemy. The messenger he sent to meet the prophet was that Hazael, whom God had commanded Elijah to anoint king (1 Kings xix. 15). Elisha knew him at once, read his character, exposed his guilty de signs, and drew such a harrowing sketch of his future cruelties that Hazael cried, ' Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing ?' IIazael re turned to Damascus, murdered his master, and mounted the throne (2 Kings viii., B.C. SS5). Dur ing his reign the armies of Syria marched victorious to the borders of Egypt. Gath was taken, and Jerusalem was only saved by paying a heavy ran som (2 Kings xii. 17, sq.) After a prosperous reign of forty years, Hazael died, and left the kingdom to his son Benhadad (2 Kings xiii. 24). Under the new prince the power of Damascus rapidly de clined, and the city was taken by Jeroboam, King of Israel (2 Kings xiv. 2S). During the anarchy which followed the death of Jeroboam, Damascus appears to have regained its independence, and some years afterwards we find Syria and Israel allied against Judah, and besieging Jerusalem (2 Kings xvi. 5). This act, however, led to the final overthrow of the kingdom of Damascus. Ahaz, King of Judah, sought aid from the Assyrians. Their powerful monarch, Tiglath-pileser, marched at once against Damascus, captured the city, slew Resin the last of the kings, and took the inhabi tants captive to Kir (2 Kings xvi. 7, sq). This was the first great revolution in the affairs of Damascus, and the close of the first period of its history. The independence it now lost was never regained. Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled The kingdom shall cease from Damascus' (Is. xvii. 3 ; Am. i• 4, 5).
Damascus remained a province of Assyria until the capture of Nineveh by the Medes (n.c. 625 ; Rawlin son's Herodotzes,i. 411), when it submitted to the con querors. Its wealth and commercial prosperity ap pear to have declined for a considerable period, pro bably on account of the ravages of Tiglath-pileser, and the captivity of the most influential and enterpris ing of its people. In the beautiful language of Jere
miah, written more than a century after its fall, a description of its existing state appears to be mixed Lip with prophetic judgments yet to come. Da mascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, mud fear hath seized on her. . . How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy' (xlix. 24, 25). The city was afterwards held in succession by the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Persians. We have no particulars of its history for a period of three centuries. Under the rule of the Persians it NN as the capital of the province of Syria, and the resi dence of the Satrap. When Darius, the last king of Persia, made his great effort to repress the rising power, and bar the progress of Alexander of Macedon ; it was in this city he deposited his family and treasures. The fate of Damascus, with that of all Western Asia, was decided by the battle of Issus, in which the Persian army was almost anni hilated. Damascus now became the capital of a province which Alexander gave to his general, Laomedon (Plutarch, Pit. A lexand.) During the long wars which raged between the Selucidm and the Ptolemies, Damascus had no separate history ; it sometimes fell to the one, and sometimes to the other. Antioch was founded, and became their favourite residence, and the capital of the Seleucidw, but when the Syrian kingdom was divided, in B.C. 126, Damascus was made the second capital. Its territory embraced Coelesyria, Phoenicia, and the country east of the Jordan, and it was afterwards governed in succession by four princes of the family of Seleucus. Damascus and Antioch thus became the seats of rival factions, and aspirants after com plete sovereignty (Appian, Syriac.; Joseph. Antiq. xiii. 13. 4, and 15. 1). The last of these, Anti ochus Dyonisus, was killed in battle against Aretas, King of Arabia, and the Damascenes forthwith elected Aretas his successor (Joseph. Antiq. xiii. 15. I, B.C. 84). In the year B.C. 64, the Romans, under Pompey, invaded and captured Syria, consti tuted it a province of the empire, and made Damas cus the seat of government (Id., x1V. 2. 3, and 4. 5)• For twenty years Damascus continued to be the residence of the Roman procurators. The city prospered under their firm and equitable rule, and, even after their removal to Antioch, did not decline. Strabo, who flourished at this period, describes it as one of the most magnificent cities of the East. Nicolaus, the famous historian and philosopher, the friend of Herod the Great and Augustus, was now one of its citizens (Strabo, Geogr. xvi. ; Joseph. Ant. xvi. to. 8). But the strong arm of Rome was not sufficient to quell the fiery spirit of the Syrians. The whole country was rent into factions, and em broiled by the unceasing rivalries and wars of petty princes. About the year A. D. 37, a family quarrel led to a war between Aretas, king of Arabia, and Herod Antipas. The Roman governor, Vitellius, was instructed to interfere in favour of the latter ; but, when he was ready to attack Aretas, who had already driven back Herod, news arrived of the death of the emperor Tiberius. The government of Syria was thus thrown into confusion, and Vitel lhis returned to Antioch (Joseph. Ant. xviii. 5. It appears that now Aretas, taking advan tage of the state of affairs, followed up his suc cesses, advanced upon Damascus, and seized the city. It was during his brief rule that Paul visited Damascus, on his return from Arabia (Gal. i. 16, 17). His zeal as a missionary, and the energy with which he opposed every form of idolatry, had probably attracted the notice, and excited the en mity of Aretas ; and, consequently, when informed by the Jews that the Apostle had returned to the city, he was anxious to secure him, and gave orders to the governor to watch the gates day and night for that purpose (Acts ix. 24 ; 2 Cor. xi. 32. See Neander, Planting and Training of the Christian Church, iii. r).