COELE-SYRIA, in Greek Coile-Syria, hollow Syria. The Valley between Libanus and Antilibanus, was principally called by this name1. It reaches in length from North to South, from the entrance of Emath as far as beyond Heliopolis or Baal -Bek. Dionysius the Geographer supposes it to lye between Libanus and Mount Casius.
But in the larger sense, the whole Country southward of Seleucia, and extending as far as Egypt and Arabia, is called Cœle- Syria. Josephus places the Country of Ammon in Cœle-Syria2, and Stephens the Geographer fixes the City of Gadara in it, which is eastward of the Sea of Tiberias. You have here a list of the several Cities in Cœle-Syria, according to Ptolemy’s account of it; Abila, Lysanium, Saana, Inna, Damascus, Samulis, Abida, Hippos, Capitolias, Gadara, Adra, Scythopolis, Gerasa, Pella, Dium, Gadara, Philadelphia, and Canatha. Whereby we see that it included several Cities of the Peræa.
Cœle-Syria is distinguished by no particular name in Scripture, but is comprized under that general one of Aram; and perhaps Syria of Soba, or Aram Soba Genes. xiv, xv.reached to Cœle-Syria; of which notwithstanding I do not know that there are any good proofs; for we cannot tell where the City of Soba was, whence Aram of Soba is supposed to take its name; unless it be the same with Hobah mentioned in Genesis, or Chobal, as the Septuagint reads it, whence Abyla is derived, which is seated at the entrance of Cœle-Syria.
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