What is the…
Abana

Hebrew: אֲבָנָה —transliteration: Abanah or Abana

Meaning: stony

This was the name of the main river of Damascus (2 Kings 5:12).

The modern name is Barada—the Chrysorrhoas, or “golden stream,” of the Greeks. It rises in a canyon of the Anti-Lebanon range, about 23 miles northwest of Damascus, and after flowing southward for a little way parts into three smaller streams, the central one flowing through Damascus, and the other two on each side of the city, diffusing beauty and fertility where otherwise there would be barrenness.

Today, this water resource is highly managed and channeled.

Abana River (now called Barada)—satellite view
Article Version: December 15, 2017

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