DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27910#0081
ST. PAUL’S WALL, DAMASCUS.
AMASCUS probably became the refuge of many of the Christians who, we are told
(Acts xi. 19), on the persecution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phoenicia
and Syria; and accordingly when Saul, “being exceedingly mad against them, persecuted
them even to strange cities,” his attention was directed specially to this distant capital.
Here, at this time, the Jews were very numerous, and there were peculiar circumstances
which gave them power for the commission of deeds of intolerance and violence. Herod
'Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, had quarreled with his father-in-law, Aretas, who reigned at Petra, the
capital of Arabia Petraea. One cause of this disagreement may have been the unfaithfulness of Herod
to the daughter of Aretas, and his shameful attachment to “his brother Philip’s wife.” Aretas was for
a time victorious, and possessed himself of Damascus. The Jews sympathized with him; and he, on
the other hand, as we see by St. Paul’s narrative, lent his secular power to forward their plans of religious
intolerance.
Notwithstanding that the history of Damascus extends through that of the whole ancient world, certainly
its most important and interesting incidents relate to its connection with the great Apostle of the Gentiles.
“No journey was ever taken,” remark his learned biographers, Conybeare and IJowson, “on which so much
interest is concentrated, as this of St. Paul from Jerusalem to Damascus.” The three points of interest in
this narrative are—first, The place of his conversion; secondly, The street called Straight, where he lodged “ in
the house of Judas;” and lastly, The wall from which he was “let down in a basket.” Tradition, of course,
points out the three localities; but I am bound to confess that the second is the only probable one of the three.
The frontispiece to this volume presents the entrance to the “ street called Straight,” through the eastern
gate, a Roman structure, surmounted by a tower of tine solid masonry. We have elsewhere stated that
Mr. Porter, a most careful and able observer who resided for many years in Damascus, has traced the remains
of a colonnade from this gate nearly in a direct line across the city, and is quite prepared to admit the claim
of this starting-point of the venerable Straight Street.
The subject of the present picture is the traditional site of St. Paul’s midnight adventure—the suppository
part of the wall from which he was let down in a basket and escaped the military guard of Aretas. It is
on the south side of the city, where the country is open, and appears to be of Roman date. In various places
the modern houses project over the wall, affording illustrations of the facility of such a plan of escape as
that narrated of St. Paul. Dr. Robinson, who is by far the best topographical authority upon the sites and
antiquities of Palestine, says:—“The wall of the ancient city, starting from the castle, may still be traced in
nearly, or quite its whole extent. It runs eastward, along the south bank of the Barada, then sweeps round
on the eastern side by the Bab-es-Shurky, afterwards turns south-west and west, and runs into the modern
city. In its lower portions and towers there are many large and evidently ancient stones, and the place of
the wall is doubtless that of ancient times; but it exhibits tokens of having been several times rebuilt—•
probably after the desolations of sieges and earthquakes. South of the eastern gate, especially, there is a
stretch of large and heavy work, and some of the stones have a partial rough bevel. The old wall is here
open to the country for a considerable distance.” This “stretch” is the portion of the wall which we have
photographed, and the traditional spot of St. Paul’s descent is from the position of the white house wdiich
overtops the wall in the centre of the picture. The low wall and inclosure in the foreground are no part
of the Roman remains. The plain of Damascus is about 2330 feet above the sea. In the previous article
we have described its fruitfulness and beauty. The Arabic name of the city is “Esh-sham.” The Christian
quarter, which occupies the whole eastern portion of the city, was almost entirely laid waste during the recent
fanatical uproar. The houses are usually built with a framework of timber, filled in with clayey soil; the
whole external appearance even of houses of the best class, is mean and unsubstantial in the extreme. The
interior courts and apartments are in some cases decorated with oriental show, unsurpassed in any eastern city.
AMASCUS probably became the refuge of many of the Christians who, we are told
(Acts xi. 19), on the persecution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phoenicia
and Syria; and accordingly when Saul, “being exceedingly mad against them, persecuted
them even to strange cities,” his attention was directed specially to this distant capital.
Here, at this time, the Jews were very numerous, and there were peculiar circumstances
which gave them power for the commission of deeds of intolerance and violence. Herod
'Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, had quarreled with his father-in-law, Aretas, who reigned at Petra, the
capital of Arabia Petraea. One cause of this disagreement may have been the unfaithfulness of Herod
to the daughter of Aretas, and his shameful attachment to “his brother Philip’s wife.” Aretas was for
a time victorious, and possessed himself of Damascus. The Jews sympathized with him; and he, on
the other hand, as we see by St. Paul’s narrative, lent his secular power to forward their plans of religious
intolerance.
Notwithstanding that the history of Damascus extends through that of the whole ancient world, certainly
its most important and interesting incidents relate to its connection with the great Apostle of the Gentiles.
“No journey was ever taken,” remark his learned biographers, Conybeare and IJowson, “on which so much
interest is concentrated, as this of St. Paul from Jerusalem to Damascus.” The three points of interest in
this narrative are—first, The place of his conversion; secondly, The street called Straight, where he lodged “ in
the house of Judas;” and lastly, The wall from which he was “let down in a basket.” Tradition, of course,
points out the three localities; but I am bound to confess that the second is the only probable one of the three.
The frontispiece to this volume presents the entrance to the “ street called Straight,” through the eastern
gate, a Roman structure, surmounted by a tower of tine solid masonry. We have elsewhere stated that
Mr. Porter, a most careful and able observer who resided for many years in Damascus, has traced the remains
of a colonnade from this gate nearly in a direct line across the city, and is quite prepared to admit the claim
of this starting-point of the venerable Straight Street.
The subject of the present picture is the traditional site of St. Paul’s midnight adventure—the suppository
part of the wall from which he was let down in a basket and escaped the military guard of Aretas. It is
on the south side of the city, where the country is open, and appears to be of Roman date. In various places
the modern houses project over the wall, affording illustrations of the facility of such a plan of escape as
that narrated of St. Paul. Dr. Robinson, who is by far the best topographical authority upon the sites and
antiquities of Palestine, says:—“The wall of the ancient city, starting from the castle, may still be traced in
nearly, or quite its whole extent. It runs eastward, along the south bank of the Barada, then sweeps round
on the eastern side by the Bab-es-Shurky, afterwards turns south-west and west, and runs into the modern
city. In its lower portions and towers there are many large and evidently ancient stones, and the place of
the wall is doubtless that of ancient times; but it exhibits tokens of having been several times rebuilt—•
probably after the desolations of sieges and earthquakes. South of the eastern gate, especially, there is a
stretch of large and heavy work, and some of the stones have a partial rough bevel. The old wall is here
open to the country for a considerable distance.” This “stretch” is the portion of the wall which we have
photographed, and the traditional spot of St. Paul’s descent is from the position of the white house wdiich
overtops the wall in the centre of the picture. The low wall and inclosure in the foreground are no part
of the Roman remains. The plain of Damascus is about 2330 feet above the sea. In the previous article
we have described its fruitfulness and beauty. The Arabic name of the city is “Esh-sham.” The Christian
quarter, which occupies the whole eastern portion of the city, was almost entirely laid waste during the recent
fanatical uproar. The houses are usually built with a framework of timber, filled in with clayey soil; the
whole external appearance even of houses of the best class, is mean and unsubstantial in the extreme. The
interior courts and apartments are in some cases decorated with oriental show, unsurpassed in any eastern city.