Syria

Gen. x. 22. Aram.SYRIA, call’d, in Hebrew, Aram, from the Name of the Patriarch who peopled the chief Provinces of it. We have already spoke of him under the Article ARAM. The Arameans, or Syrians, possess’d Mesopotamia, Chaldea, a Part of *Armenia *; Syria, properly so call’d, comprehended between Euphrates towards the East, the Mediterranean towards the West, Cilicia to the North, Phenicia, Judea, and Arabia deserta towards the South. The Hebrews were originally Arameans, since they came out of Mesopotamia, and therefore it is said, that Jacob was a poor Aramean.¹ It is certain, however, that he was not descended from Aram, but from Amos ix. 7.Arphaxad, another Son of Shem. Amos seems to say, that the Lord brought up the Assyrians or Aram from Kir, as he had brought up the Philistines from Caphtor. That is to say, that Aram, or his Posterity, came to dwell in Syria, when they quitted the Neighbourhood of the River Cyrus, which is in Armenia.

Syria of the two Rivers, or Mesopotamia of Syria, as it is call’d in the Vulgate, or Aram Naharaim, as it is call’d in the Hebrew, is comprehended between the two Rivers Tigris and Euphrates.

Syria of Damascus, is that of which Damascus was the Capital, and which extended Aram Damashek,eastward along by Mount Libanus. Its Borders are not fixed, but varied according as the Princes that reign’d at Damascus were more or less powerful.

Syria of Zobah, or Soba, or Sobal, as it is call’d by the Septuagint, was probably Cele-syria, or Syria the hollow or flat. Its Capital was Zobah, a City unknown, unless Gen. xiv. 15.it be the same as Hoba or Hobal, to the North of Damascus. See HOBAL or ABILA.

Syria of Maachah, or of Beth-maachah, Aram Naharaim. Aram Tsobah. Aram Maacha.or of Machati, was also towards Libanus. See 2 Sam. x. 6, 8. 1 Kings xiii. 20. 2 Kings xv. 29. It extended beyond Jordan, and was given to Manasseh. Deut. iii. 14. Josh. xii. 4. See MAACHAH.

Syria of Rohob, or Rehob, was that Part Aram Rehob or Rechob.of Syria of which Rehob was the Capital.² But Rohob was to the northern Frontier of the Land of Promise, Numb. xiii. 21. upon the Way or Pass that leads to Emath or Hamath. It was given to the Tribe of Asher, and is contiguous to Aphek, which was in Libanus. Laish, otherwise call’d Dan, situate at the Fountains of Jordan, was in the Country of Rohob. Hadadezer, King of Syria of Zobah, was Son of Rehob or Rohob, or perhaps a Native of the City of this Name. The Ammonites call’d to their Assistance against David, the Syrians of Rehob, of Zoba, of Maachah, and of Ish-tob. Syria of Tob, or of Ish-tob, or of the Land of Tob, or of the Tubieni, as they are call’d in the Maccabees, was in the Neighbourhood of Libanus, and to the northern Extremity of Palestine. See TOB. When Jephthah was thrust out by his Brethren from Gilead, he withdrew into the Land of Tob, Judg. xi. 3, 5.

Syria of Emath or Hamath, is that of which the City of Hamath upon the Orontes was the Capital. See HAMATH.

Syria, without any other Appellation, stands for the Kingdom of Syria, of which Antioch became the Capital after the Reign of the Seleucidæ. Before this Time it was very rare to find the Name Syria us’d by itself. The Provinces of Syria were generally express’d by the Addition of the City that was the Capital of the Province.

Celo-syria, or Cele-syria, or the Lower Syria, is known in more Places than one of the Maccabees³. The Word Cœle-syria, according to the Force of the Greek, signifies Syria cava, or Syria the hollow or deep. It may be consider’d either in a proper and restrain’d Sense, and then it will comprehend only the Tract of Land that lies between Libanus and Antilibanus; or in a larger Signification, and then it will comprehend all the Country in the Obedience of the Kings of Syria, from Seleucia to Arabia and Egypt. This is what Strabo informs us of. We have already observed, that Syria of Zobah was nearly the same as Celo-syria.

Syria of Palestine, Syria Palestina, is read in some Authors,⁴ and Josephus⁵ himself sometimes comprehends Palestine under Syria. ‘Twas because this Province was long under the Government of the Kings of Syria, who appointed Governors there, that were call’d Governors of Syria.

We have already spoke at large of Ben-hadad, Hazael, Hadadezer, Hadad, Rezin, and the other Kings of Syria, as may be seen under their respective Articles. As the Succession of these Princes is unknown, and the Duration of their Reigns, we cannot give a List of them. But we shall presently make a Catalogue of those Kings of Syria, who were known by the Name of the Seleucidæ. Syria at first was govern’d by its own Kings, each of which reign’d in their own Cities, and in their own Cantons. David subdued them about the Year of the World 2960, before Christ 1040, before the vulgar Era 1044. And again, in 2969, before Christ 1031, before the vulgar Era 1035, upon the Occasion of the War he had with the Ammonites, to whom the Syrians thought fit to give Assistance. They continued in Subjection till after the Reign of Solomon,⁶ when they shook off the Yoke, and could not be reduced again to their former Obedience, till the Time of Jeroboam II. King of Israel, who began to reign in 3179, before Christ 821, before the vulgar Era 825. Rezin King of Syria, and Pekah King of Israel, having declared War against Ahab King of Judah; this Prince found himself under a Necessity of calling to his Assistance Tiglath-pileser King of Assyria,⁷ who put Rezin to Death, took Damascus, and transported the Syrians out of the Country to Places beyond the Euphrates. From that Time Syria continued in Subjection to the Kings of Assyria. Afterwards it came under the Dominion of the Chaldeans; then under that of the Persians; and lastly, it was reduced by Alexander the Great, and was subject to all the Revolutions that happen’d to the great Empires of the East.

After the Death of Alexander, which happen’d in the Year of the World 3681, before Christ 319, before the vulgar Era 323; his Empire was divided among his principal Officers, who at first assumed the Title of Governors, and then that of Kings. Seleucus I. named Nicator or Nicanor, Head of the Family of the Kings call’d Seleucidæ, took the Diadem, and the Name of King of Syria in 3682, and reign’d forty-two Years. He died in 3724, before Christ 276, before the vulgar Era 280.

Antiochus I. surnamed Soter, reigned nineteen Years, from the Year of the World 3724 to 3743.

Antiochus II. surnamed Theus, reigned fifteen Years, from the Year of the World 3743 to 3759.

Seleucus II. surnamed Callinicus or Pogon, that is, the Bearded, reigned twenty Years, from the Year of the World 3758 to 3778.

Seleucus III. surnamed Keraunus, or Thunder, reign’d three Years, from the Year of the World 3778 to 3781.

Antiochus III. surnamed Magnus, reign’d thirty-six Years, from the Year of the World 3781 to 3816.

Seleucus IV. surnamed Philopater, reign’d twelve Years, from the Year of the World 3817 to 3828.

Antiochus IV. surnamed Epiphanes, Son of Antiochus the Great, and Brother of Seleucus IV. reign’d eleven Years, from the Year of the World 3828 to 3840.

Antiochus V. surnamed Eupator, reign’d two Years, from the Year of the World 3840 to 3842.

Demetrius I. surnamed Soter, Son of Seleucus IV. reign’d twelve Years, from the Year of the World 3842 to 3854.

Demetrius II. surnamed Nicator, reign’d ten Years with much Perplexity. He had for Competitors Alexander Balas or Balles, and Antiochus Theos, Son of Balas. Demetrius Nicator died in 3864, and Alexander Balas in 3859, and Antiochus Theos his Son, having begun to reign under the Regency of Tryphon in 3860, was put to Death in 3861, and the Kingdom was usurped by Tryphon, who was also put to Death in 3866.

Antiochus VI. surnamed Pius, or Soter, or Sidetes, that is, the Fisher or Hunter, Brother to Demetrius Nicanor, reigned about ten Years, from 3864 to 3873, when he was put to Death by the Parthians.

Demetrius III. surnamed Nicanor, ascending the Throne, had for Competitor Alexander Zebina. Demetrius was overcome, and put to Death in 3878, as was Zebina in 3882.

Seleucus V. Son of Demetrius Nicanor, reign’d one Year in great Uneasiness, from the Year of the World 3878 to 3880.

Antiochus VII. surnamed Gryphus, or Philometor, dispossess’d Zebina in 3882, and reign’d eight Years in Peace, to the Year 3890. Then Antiochus, surnamed Cyzicenus, his Brother, rose up against him, and overcame him in 3892. They divided the Kingdom. Antiochus Gryphus died in 3910, having reigned in all about nine and twenty Years; and Antiochus Cyzicenus, his Brother, was overcome and put to Death the same Year, by Seleucus, the Son of Gryphus.

Seleucus VI. Son of Gryphus reign’d but one Year. He was conquer’d and depriv’d of his Kingdom in 3911, by Antiochus Eusebes, Son of his Uncle Antiochus Cyzicenus, and was put to Death the same Year 3911, at Mopsuesta in Cilicia.

Antiochus VIII. surnamed Eusebes, reign’d in Trouble two Years. His Competitors were Antiochus and Philippus, Brothers to his Uncle Seleucus, and Demetrius Eucærus, Son of Antiochus Gryphus, who overcame him, and forced him to take Refuge among the Parthians, in the Year of the World 3912.

Thus was Syria divided between Philip and Demetrius Eucærus, of which the latter reign’d at Damascus. But the Syrians finding the Kingdom to be almost ruin’d by the civil Wars, that had been carry’d on between the several Competitors for the Kingdom for many Years, had recourse to a foreign Power for the Support of their Monarchy. Some would have Mithridates call’d in, and others Ptolemy Lathurus, King of Egypt. Lastly, they all agreed upon Tigranes, King of Armenia, who govern’d Syria for eighteen Years, from the Year of the World 3921 to 3939.

Antiochus XI. surnamed Asiaticus, and his Brother, Sons of Antiochus Eusebes, who had still Possession of that Part of Syria that Tigranes had not seized, went to Rome in 3932, to ask the Kingdom of Egypt of the Senate, which they pretended to belong to them in Right of their Mother Cleopatra, surnamed Selene. But Tigranes having put Selene to Death in 3934, Antiochus Asiaticus lost the Hopes of obtaining the Kingdom of Egypt, and return’d into Syria in 3935, where he reign’d for four Years, till Pompey having reduced Syria into a Roman Province, in the Year of the World 3939, this Monarchy was intirely extinct, having subsisted for two hundred and fifty-seven Years.

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