Damascus is the capital city of Syria. There is insufficient information in the Book of Mormon to locate Damascus in relation to any other places. It is mentioned in conjunction with the places of Arpad, Assyria, Calno, Carchemish, Ephraim, Hamath, Samaria, and Syria. Researchers locate Damascus north of Jerusalem.
Commentaries (
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II NEPHI 9:21 [17:8]: For the head of Syria, is Damascus; and the head of Damascus, Rezin: and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Damascus, Ephraim, and Syria. This verse is also found in Isaiah 7:8. The phrase 'head of' indicates that Damascus is the capital of Syria. Ephraim is mentioned but no information is provided concerning its location.
II NEPHI 9:42 [18:4]: For behold, the child shall not have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, before the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
Commentary: This verse references the places of Assyria, Damascus, Ephraim, Samaria, and Syria. This verse also occurs in Isaiah 8:4. There is no information provided regarding their locations except the phrase 'taken away' indicates Damascus (Syria) and Samaria (Ephraim) are probably located outside of Assyria.
II NEPHI 9:90 [20:9]: Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?
Commentary: This verse references the places of Arpad, Calno, Carchemish, Damascus, Hamath, and Samaria. This verse also occurs in Isaiah 10:9. This is the only verse that identifies these places, so there is insufficient information in the Book of Mormon to locate these places. However, these pairs of places constitute a list, so the paired places should be in close proximity to each other. Being a list of pairs, the paired places should also define areas that should be next to each other. For example, Calno should be in close proximity to Carchemish and the pair of Calno and Carchemish should define an area that is next to the area defined by Hamath and Arpad. The area defined by Hamath and Arpad should be next to the area defined by Samaria and Damascus.
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