Damascus 

Damascus, the capital of Syria and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, has played a pivotal role in religious and cultural history. Throughout the ages, it has been a vital cultural and economic hub in the Arab world, deeply intertwined with the stories of Jesus and the Apostle Paul. In the first century, it was known for its connection to Jesus' ministry and later, for Paul's dramatic conversion which transformed him from a persecutor of Christians to a devout follower of Christ.

The city's rich history is marked by its influence on religious teachings and reputation as a center of learning and commerce, often intersecting with Jesus' journeys and teachings.

Damascus is the capital of Syria. It is the oldest current capital in the world. It is considered a holy city in Islam and a major cultural center of the Arab world. It has been designated as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. However, due to the Syrian civil war, Damascus today is hardly habitable. Syria is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Lebanon and Israel to the west and southwest. Damascus is in the southwestern part of Syria and close to the border of Lebanon.

During the time of Jesus, Damascus was occupied and redesigned by the Romans. Damascus became incorporated into the ten cities known as the Decapolis, which were granted autonomy. It is believed that control of Damascus reverted to Syria around 33 to 34 CE. Jesus died in 30 CE.

The city of Damascus was home to many interested in the life of Jesus. The week following the ordination of his twelve apostles, truth seekers came from distant cities, including Damascus. During Jesus’ last public tour, the successful Perean mission, the messengers of David Zebedee brought good news of the kingdom taking root in Alexandria and Damascus. When they turned Jesus over to be crucified, David Zebedee sent runners to inform the faithful in many cities, including Damascus. On Sunday morning, one of David’s twenty-six messengers went to the believer center in Damascus to announce that Jesus had been resurrected. Jesus’ eighteenth appearance was at Tyre and announced the next day in Damascus.

The road to Damascus was a thoroughfare on which Jesus and the apostles traveled. Capernaum was on the direct travel route from Damascus to the south. This road, called the Damascus-Capernaum road, passed through Galilee just south of the Waters of Merom and onto Capernaum. The distance between is sixty miles. To the northeast is a junction with the road to Caesarea-Philippi. On the northwest side of Jerusalem’s wall is the Damascus Gate. The road leads past Golgotha and the tomb of Joseph and continues to Damascus.

The road to Damascus is known for where the Apostle Paul spiritually made a complete reversal, from condemning Jesus’ followers to becoming one. The fires in his heart, mind, and soul sprang up, and his spirit emerged from the turmoil of his mind to have the final say. He had a crisis of conscience about what he should be doing and underwent a dramatic conversion. He began converting others, and he became a key figure in the spread of Christianity, recounting his personal encounter with the Jesus of Damascus.

Some key events in Jesus' journey along this road include the following:

• When Jesus was near Caesarea-Philippi, he traveled the Damascus road to a village known as Beit Jenn in the foothills of Mount Hermon. For six weeks following his baptism, Jesus lived alone with God.
• Jesus took the Damascus Road to Capernaum when he fled through northern Galilee to Caesarea-Philippi to avoid arrest by officers of the Sanhedrin. He returned to Capernaum after his Transfiguration on Mount Hermon.

In Jesus’ eighth year, he met a teacher of mathematics from Damascus, and upon learning some new methods with numbers, he began a serious study of math.

At Philadelphia, Jesus and his younger brother Simon made acquaintances with a merchant from Damascus who liked the two so much that he insisted they stop with him at his Jerusalem headquarters. When Jesus learned of his Oriental import business stretching to the Far East and West, he was tempted to accept his business proposal in Damascus. Later, a representative of this merchant sought out Jesus and escorted him to Damascus with a different and even more impressive offer.

During the Passover at Jerusalem, Jesus preached a great sermon on how one can know that he was sent by God, thanks to a question asked by a man from Damascus.

Jesus formed the evangelistic corps of women before his third preaching tour. One of his chosen was Agaman, a widow of Damascus.

In Jesus’ twenty-third year, he lived the last four months in Damascus as a guest of the Oriental import merchant whom he first met in Philadelphia. He presented Jesus with an enticing plan to make Damascus a world-class center of learning to out-rival Alexandria. He asked Jesus to run the project. Jesus declined the offer, knowing he needed to follow a different path. However, Jesus remained at the merchant’s home, working as a translator. It was during this time that Jesus picked up the rudiments of the language spoken by Gonod and Ganid when working as a translator on their Mediterranean Tour.

The merchant’s entire family implored Jesus to take the position as head of a future school of religious philosophy at Damascus. How ironic that the businessmen and bankers of Damascus were fully behind Jesus in managing their adventure when the Jerusalem religious leaders were too blind and self-righteous to acknowledge his skills in leadership and as a master teacher. And Jesus was still an obscure and unknown carpenter from Nazareth years before his ministry, and yet they were able to recognize a great man.

In Jesus’ twenty-ninth year, nearing the end of Jesus’ Mediterranean Tour with Gonod and Ganid, they journeyed by camel from Sidon and over to Damascus, making ready for the long trek across the desert sands to Ur. Jesus parted company with them at Charax in December. Ganid, teary-eyed, promised the next time he was in Damascus, he would look for Jesus. Jesus returned by way of Ur to Babylon and joined a desert caravan that was passing through Damascus. From Damascus, he stopped in Capernaum and then went on to Nazareth.

In April, in his thirtieth year, Jesus joined a caravan as the conductor, traveling from Jerusalem through Damascus to the southeastern Caspian Sea region. Later, he returned as a passenger with a caravan to Damascus.

By Jesus’ thirty-first year, his time of world travel was over. He had met people from different parts of the world. Jesus became known by various names from his experiences of living as a man among men, namely, the carpenter of Nazareth, the boatbuilder of Capernaum, the scribe of Damascus, and the teacher of Alexandria.

When living in Damascus, Jesus' refusal of such a grand offer became folklore. Jesus would hear the story of a strange Galilean who declined the opportunity to found a school of religious philosophy in Damascus. The story spread far and wide. When Jesus visited Rome, many referred to him as the scribe of Damascus.

The Apostle Paul once connected the “scribe of Damascus” with the “tentmaker of Antioch” based on a description of their personalities. When in Antioch, Paul heard the doctrines of the Damascus scribe, and though sounding familiar, he never imagined that they originated from Jesus. Simon Peter, when preaching in Rome, heard a description of the Damascus scribe that fit Jesus, but he dismissed the connection since he believed Jesus had never been in Rome. Jesus never revealed information about his travels except to John Zebedee, who promised to keep it a secret.