SYRIA
That region bounded on the E by Mesopotamia, on the W by the Lebanon mountains, on the N by the Taurus mountains, on the S by Palestine and the Arabian Desert. The region is called Aram in the Hebrew Scriptures. These boundaries are only general, since Syrian influence and domination within this area were rather fluid and unstable most of the time.
IN PATRIARCHAL TIMES
Of patriarchal times our only Biblical records of the Syrians concern events around Haran involving the lives of Rebekah’s family, her father Bethuel and brother Laban both being described as Syrians, or literally, Aramaeans. (Gen. 25:20; 28:5; 31:20, 24) Because Jacob resided twenty years in this territory, and there married Laban’s two daughters and fathered sons and daughters, and because of the afflictions he experienced in Laban’s service, he was later described as “a perishing Syrian.” Also, Jacob’s mother was a Syrian.—Deut. 26:5; Gen. 31:40-42; Hos. 12:12.
PERIOD OF THE JUDGES
During the period of the Judges when the Israelites fell away from Jehovah’s worship, the Syrian king Cushan-rishathaim subjugated them for a period of eight years. (Judg. 3:7-10) On another occasion, Syria’s influence proved strong enough to cause Israel to worship her gods along with other pagan deities.—Judg. 10:6.
PERIOD OF KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH
From and after the birth of Israel’s monarchy, Syria became aggressively active militarily, and throughout the entire history of the northern kingdom hostilities between the two prevailed. Israel’s first king, Saul, went to war with the Syrian kings of Zobah. (1 Sam. 14:47) David, upon becoming king, inflicted heavy losses on the army of Syrian King Hadadezer. At the same time much gold, silver and copper were taken and sanctified to Jehovah. David also set up garrisons in Damascus and compelled the Syrians to pay tribute. (2 Sam. 8:3-12; 1 Chron. 18:3-8) Later, more than 30,000 Syrian mercenaries that were hired by the Ammonites, instead of fighting, took flight before the Israelites. However, after Syrian reinforcements were brought up, a battle with Israel ensued and the Syrians suffered great losses, causing them to sue for peace.—2 Sam. 10:6-19; 1 Chron. 19:6-19.
Following this a certain Syrian rebel named Rezon, who fled from Hadadezer, made himself king at Damascus, and became a resister of Israel all the days of Solomon. (1 Ki. 11:23-25) With these developments Damascus became the most prominent Syrian city, and was long recognized as “the head of Syria,” toward which Jehovah’s pronouncements against that nation were directed.—Isa. 7:8; 17:1-3; Amos 1:5.
After division of Israel’s kingdom
Bible history of the Syrians following the death of Solomon and the dividing of his kingdom tells, in the main, of their successes and reverses in their relations with the Israelites of both the northern and southern kingdoms. Particular events are mentioned as occurring during the reigns of Asa (1 Ki. 15:18-20; 2 Chron. 16:2-4, 7), Ahab (1 Ki. 20:1-34; 22:3, 4, 29-35; 2 Chron. 18:10, 28-34), Jehoram of Israel (2 Ki. 6:24–7:16; 8:28, 29; 9:14b, 15; 2 Chron. 22:5, 6), Jehoash of Judah (2 Ki. 12:17, 18; 2 Chron. 24:23, 24), Jehoahaz (2 Ki. 13:3-7, 22), Jehoash of Israel (2 Ki. 13:14-19, 24, 25), Jotham (2 Ki. 15:37, 38), Ahaz (2 Ki. 16:5-9; 2 Chron. 28:5; Isa. 7:1-8; 9:12) and Jehoiakim (2 Ki. 24:2). It was most unusual, worthy of special mention, when there were ‘three years without war between Syria and Israel.’—1 Ki. 22:1.
Jehovah’s prophet Elisha had certain contacts with the Syrians, as for example, when he cured the Syrian army chief Naaman of leprosy (2 Ki. 5:1-20), and when he disclosed to Hazael that he would be king of Syria in place of his master, Ben-hadad II. (2 Ki. 8:7-15) On another occasion when a detachment of Syrians surrounded Dothan to take Elisha captive, the prophet first asked God to strike them with a form of blindness, and then he led them to Samaria, where their vision was restored, had them fed and sent them home. (2 Ki. 6:8-23) For further details on these experiences of the Syrians with the prophet, see the article on ELISHA.
The Syrians were Semites, closely related and associated with the Israelites. Yet in the eighth century B.C.E. there was sufficient difference between their languages that the common Jew did not understand Aramaic. (2 Ki. 18:26-28; Isa. 36:11, 12; see ARAMAIC [The Language].) Also religiously, there were vast differences between the polytheistic Syrians and the Jews, and it was only when the latter apostatized that worship of the Syrian gods was allowed in the land of Israel.—Judg. 10:6; 2 Ki. 16:10-16; 2 Chron. 28:22, 23.
IN THE FIRST CENTURY C.E.
Syria of apostolic times meant the Roman province that Pompey annexed to the empire in 64 B.C.E. This province embraced much of the old territory of Syria as well as the whole of Palestine. At the time of Jesus’ birth it was ruled over by Governor Quirinius, the legate of Emperor Augustus, whose residence was in the capital of the province and third-largest city of the Roman Empire, Antioch, on the Orontes River. (Luke 2:1, 2) Jesus restricted his ministry to Palestine proper, but reports of his wonderful miracles reached out “into all Syria.”—Matt. 4:24.
When the Christians in Jerusalem were scattered because of the persecution following the stoning of Stephen, some of them carried the good news to Syria’s capital, Antioch. First the Jews there heard the message, and later those of other national groups. Barnabas and Paul were both instrumental in building up the congregation of Antioch. It was first in this Syrian city where “the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.”—Acts 11:19-26; Gal. 1:21.
About the year 46 C.E., during the reign of Emperor Claudius when a great famine occurred, the Christians in and around Antioch sent a relief ministration by Barnabas and Paul to their brothers in Jerusalem. (Acts 11:27-30) The letter regarding circumcision sent out by the apostles and older men in Jerusalem was addressed particularly to the congregations in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia (a neighboring region). (Acts 15:23) During the years when Paul traveled extensively as a missionary he used Antioch of Syria as his home base.—Acts 15:40, 41; 18:18; 20:3; 21:3; Gal. 2:11; see ARAM No. 5; ASSYRIA.