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to be established in it again. which also remained until the apostolic times; for example, Paul mentions the king of Damascus, writing thus: "In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king of the Damascenes was guarding the city to seize me, and through a window in a basket I was let down from the wall and escaped his hands". Therefore, we will refer the first parts of the prophecies to the times of the Assyrians, during which Damascus was besieged for a first and a second time, and it is likely that it suffered similar things in the Persian and Macedonian times at the hands of those who rose up and besieged it from time to time, during which the oracle was fulfilled that said: Behold, Damascus will be removed from among the cities and will be left a ruin for a bed for flocks and a resting place, and there will be none to pursue. But the things that follow in the passage: and Ephraim will no longer have a fortress for a refuge, and there will no longer be a kingdom in Damascus, might be referred to the Roman times, in which, after the coming of our Savior, when every toparchy had been abolished, the kingdom of Damascus was also dissolved, because the first parts of the prophecy did not signify the complete destruction of Damascus, but a certain partial fall of it, is clear from what is said after this: and it will not be a fortress, and again: there will no longer be a kingdom in Damascus; for these things were said as if it were indeed to continue to exist, but would no longer be a fortress as in olden times, nor would it be a kingdom. It is also possible to approach these passages in another way, as the prophecy proclaims in advance humiliation for the inhabitants of Damascus and a private life. For thus we are accustomed to say that a rich man has fallen when he comes to extreme poverty, and an honored man, when he is deprived of the dignity he held. Such also is this: "The house of Israel has fallen, it will no more rise again". If, therefore, it says: Behold, Damascus will be removed from among the cities and will be left a ruin forever, it alludes to the abolition of the royal power, which the city, having shone forth, previously possessed; for at that time it alone ruled all of Syria, as the illustrious cities in Syria known to us had not yet been built. For Antioch and Apamea and Laodicea and as many other illustrious cities as there were after these, were founded after the death of Alexander of Macedon, but before these, Damascus ruled all of Syria, being a certain royal city of the Syrians. Since, therefore, it was destined to fall from its royal dignity and be left moderate and humble and very small, so that henceforth private men and common people, like a herd of flocks, would inhabit the city and the country, with no enemy any longer troubling them. For this reason it is said: Behold, Damascus will be removed from among the cities, that is, from among royal cities, the word suggesting this for us to understand; and it says, it will be left a ruin forever, and for a bed for flocks and a resting place, and there will no longer be anyone pursuing. Which things indeed reached their fulfillment under Roman rule, during which Damascus was established in part; for he says that the old and royal [city] had completely vanished. Thus the one now seen has been established as the prophecy foretold, no longer bearing royal dignity nor ruling the nation of the Syrians, but having fallen from the power it previously possessed and left almost as a bed for flocks and a resting place for herdsmen, for thus the word is accustomed to call the teeming multitudes and the common people. That no one besieges the city of the Damascenes while it is under Roman administration is clear to everyone, and that, being in such a condition, it cannot provide any assistance to the nation of the Jews as it did before. Therefore it is said: and Ephraim will no longer have a fortress for a refuge, and there will no longer be a kingdom in Damascus and the remnant of the Syrians. For do not think, he says, that Damascus will be deprived of its royal dignity, and another city

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αὐτῇ συστῆναι πάλιν. ὃ καὶ διέμεινε μέχρι τῶν ἀποστολικῶν χρόνων· αὐτίκα γοῦν ὁ Παῦλος μέμνηται βασιλέως ∆αμασκοῦ γράφων οὕτως· «ἐν ∆αμασκῷ ὁ ἐθνάρχης Ἁρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως ∆αμασκηνῶν ἐφρούρει τὴν πόλιν πιάσαι με, καὶ διὰ θυρίδος ἐν σαργάνῃ ἐχαλάσθην ἐκ τοῦ τείχους καὶ ἐξέφυγον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ». οὐκοῦν τὰ πρῶτα τῶν προφητειῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς χρόνους ἀνοίσομεν τῶν Ἀσσυρίων, καθ' οὓς καὶ πρῶτον καὶ δεύτερον πεπολιόρκητο ἡ ∆αμασκός, εἰκὸς δὲ αὐτὴν καὶ ἐν τοῖς Περσικοῖς χρόνοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς Μακεδονικοῖς τὰ ὅμοια πεπονθέναι ὑπὸ τῶν κατὰ χρόνους ἐπανισταμένων καὶ πολιορκούντων αὐτήν, καθ' οὓς ἐπληροῦτο τὸ φῆσαν λόγιον· Ἰδοὺ ∆αμασκὸς ἀρθήσεται ἀπὸ πόλεων καὶ ἔσται εἰς πτῶσιν καταλελειμμένη εἰς κοίτην ποιμνίων καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ διώκων. τὰ δ' ἑξῆς ἐπιφερόμενα ἐν τῷ· καὶ οὐκέτι ἔσται ὀχυρὰ τοῦ καταφυγεῖν Ἐφραίμ, καὶ οὐκέτι βασιλεία ἐν ∆αμασκῷ, ἐπὶ τοὺς χρόνους ἀνάγοιτο ἂν τοὺς Ῥωμαϊκούς, ἐν οἷς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν παρουσίαν πάσης τοπαρχίας καθαιρεθείσης καὶ ἡ τῆς ∆αμασκοῦ λέλυτο βασιλεία, ὅτι τὰ πρῶτα τῆς προφητείας οὐ παντελῆ ἀφανισμὸν ἐδήλου τῆς ∆αμασκοῦ, ἀλλὰ μερικήν τινα πτῶσιν αὐτῆς, δῆλον ἀπὸ τοῦ λέγεσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὀχυρὰ καὶ πάλιν οὐκέτι βασιλεία ἐν ∆αμασκῷ· ὡς γὰρ μελλούσης μὲν αὐτῆς ἔσεσθαι, οὐ μὴν καὶ ὀχυρᾶς κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν γενησομένης οὐδὲ βασιλευούσης ταῦτ' εἴρηται. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ἐπιβαλεῖν τοῖς τόποις, ὡς τῆς προφητείας ταπείνωσιν τοῖς οἰκήτορσι ∆αμασκοῦ καὶ βίον ἰδιωτικὸν προαναφωνούσης. οὕτω γοῦν εἰώθαμεν ἐκπεπτωκέναι λέγειν τὸν πλούσιον ἐπειδὰν εἰς ἐσχάτην ἐλάσῃ πενίαν καὶ τὸν ἔντιμον, ἐπειδὰν οὗ μετεῖχεν ἀξιώματος στερηθῇ. τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τό· «οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ πέπτωκεν, οὐκέτι μὴ προσθήσει τοῦ ἀναστῆναι». ἐὰν τοίνυν λέγῃ· Ἰδοὺ ∆αμασκὸς ἀρθήσεται ἀπὸ πόλεων καὶ ἔσται εἰς πτῶσιν καταλελειμμένη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τὴν καθαίρεσιν αἰνίττεται τῆς βασιλικῆς δυνάμεως, ἧς μετεῖχε πρότερον ἡ πόλις ἐκλάμψασα· μόνη γὰρ ἦν τότε τῆς Συρίας ἁπάσης κρατοῦσα, μήπω τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπιφανῶν ἐν τῇ Συρίᾳ πόλεων ἐγηγερμένων. ἥ τε γὰρ Ἀντιόχεια καὶ Ἀπάμεια καὶ Λαοδίκεια καὶ ὅσαι ἄλλαι γεγόνασιν ἐπιφανεῖς μετὰ ταῦτα πόλεις, μετὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Μακεδόνος τελευτὴν συνέστησαν, πρὸ δὲ τούτων τῆς Συρίας ἁπάσης ἡ ∆αμασκὸς ἐκράτει, βασιλική τις οὖσα τῶν Σύρων πόλις. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἔμελλεν ἀποπίπτειν τοῦ βασιλικοῦ ἀξιώματος καὶ καταλείπεσθαι μετρία καὶ ταπεινὴ καὶ βραχυτάτη, ὡς λοιπὸν ἰδιώτας ἄνδρας καὶ δήμους ψιλοὺς δίκην ἀγέλης ποιμνίων τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώραν οἰκεῖν μηκέτι μηδενὸς παρενοχλοῦντος αὐτοῖς πολεμίου. τούτου χάριν εἴρηται τό· Ἰδοὺ ∆αμασκὸς ἀρθήσεται ἀπὸ πόλεων, δηλονότι ἀπὸ πόλεων βασιλικῶν, τοῦτο νοεῖν ἡμῖν ὑποβάλλοντος τοῦ λόγου· καὶ ἔσται δέ φησιν εἰς πτῶσιν καταλελειμμένη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς κοίτην ποιμνίων καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ διώκων οὐκέτι. ἃ δὴ καὶ τέλους τετύχηκεν ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἀρχῆς, καθ' ἣν συνειστήκει μὲν ἡ ∆αμασκὸς ἐκ μέρους· τὴν γὰρ παλαιὰν καὶ βασιλικὴν παντελῶς φησιν ἠφανίσθαι. οὕτω δὲ συνέστηκεν ἡ νῦν ὁρωμένη ὡς ἡ προφητεία ἐθέσπισεν, οὐκέτι μὲν βασιλικὸν ἀξίωμα ἐπαγομένη οὐδ' ἄρχουσα τοῦ Σύρων ἔθνους, ἀποπεπτωκυῖα δὲ ἧς πρότερον μετεῖχε δυνάμεως καὶ μονονουχὶ εἰς κοίτην ποιμνίων καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν βουκολίων καταλελειμμένη, οὕτω δὲ τὰ ἀγελαῖα πλήθη καὶ τοὺς εὐτελεῖς δήμους καλεῖν εἴωθεν ὁ λόγος. ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲ πολιορκεῖ τις τὴν τῶν ∆αμασκηνῶν πόλιν ὑπὸ τὴν διοίκησιν τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν τυγχάνουσαν παντί τῳ δῆλον καὶ ὡς ἐν τοιαύτῃ τυγχάνουσα καταστάσει οὐδὲν ἐπικουρεῖν δύναται τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει κατὰ τὸ πρότερον. διὸ λέλεκται· καὶ οὐκέτι ἔσται ὀχυρὰ τοῦ καταφυγεῖν Ἐφραίμ, καὶ οὐκέτι βασιλεία ἐν ∆αμασκῷ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν τῶν Σύρων. μὴ γὰρ νόμιζέ φησι τὴν ∆αμασκὸν στερήσεσθαι τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀξίας, ἑτέραν δὲ πόλιν