Abana

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Fausset's Bible Dictionary [1]

The chief river of Damascus, the modern Barada, called by the Greeks "the golden stream," flowing through the heart of the city and supplying it with water. The Pharpar mentioned with it in  2 Kings 5:12 is further from Damascus, and answers to the Awaj . The Barada rises in the Antilibanus mountain range, 23 miles from the city, and has the large spring Ain Fijah as a tributary. It passes the site of Abila and the Assyrian ruin Tell Es Salahiyeh , and empties itself in the marsh Bahret El Kibliyeh or Bahr El Merj , "lake of the meadow." Porter calculates that 14 villages and 150,000 souls depend on it for their water supply. Hence, we see the significance of Naaman's boast, "Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?"

These rivers render the environs of Damascus though bordering on a desert one of the loveliest spots on earth; whereas the Israelite streams, excepting Jordan, are dry for a large part of the year, and running in deep channels but little fertilize the land through which they flow. Αmana , "perennial"), is the reading of the Hebrew margin (the Qeri): "b" and "m" often are interchanged in eastern languages. Soon after issuing from Antilebanon, it parts into three smaller streams, the central flowing through Damascus and the other two one on each side of the city, diffusing beauty and fertility where otherwise there would be the same barrenness as characterizes the vast contiguous plains. Spiritually, men through proud self sufficiency refuse the waters of Shiloah that go softly ( Isaiah 8:6), the gospel "fountain opened for uncleanness," preferring earthly "waters" ( Jeremiah 2:18;  Zechariah 13:1).

People's Dictionary of the Bible [2]

Abana ( Ăb'A-Nah or A-Bä'Nah ), Stony. The Hebrew and English marginal reading is "Amanah," meaning "perennial;" this may be the correct form. It is the same as the Greek "Chrysorrhoas," or "golden river," and the modern "Barada," meaning "cold." A river of Damascus, one of those which Naaman, in his pride, preferred to the waters of Israel.  2 Kings 5:12. It rises in the beautiful plain of Zebedany, issuing from a little lake, and receiving in its course the waters of two or three fountains. Quitting this plain, the river dashes over a cliff. 30 feet high, runs through a magnificent ravine, and is afterwards joined by the stream from ʾAin Fîjeh, one of the largest springs in Syria. Having emerged from the mountains into the plains of Damascus, it flows through orchards and meadows till it enters the city, and passing through it, falls finally into a marshy lake, 15 or 20 miles below. At its rise the river is 3343 feet above the sea, and 1149 above Damascus, which is distant from the source about 22 miles. The Abana waters about 800 square miles of territory, and it is calculated that 14 villages and 150,000 souls depend on it for their water supply. Damascus is thus made, though on the edge of a desert, one of the loveliest spots in the world. The streams of Israel, on the other hand, with the exception of the Jordan, are nearly dry the greater part of the year, and, running in deep and rocky channels, give but partial fertility to the land through which they flow. This may well account for the question of Naaman the Syrian: "Are not Abana and Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?"  2 Kings 5:12.

Morrish Bible Dictionary [3]

Oneof the rivers of Damascus, which the proud Naaman declared were better than all the waters of Israel,  2 Kings 5:12; the other is Pharpar. These are probably the rivers now called Barada and Awaj; Barada being supposed to be Abana. This is the Chrysorrhoas of the ancients. Robinson says, "it rises in the high plain south of Zebdany on Anti-Lebanon, and rushes in a south-easterly course down the mountain till it issues at Mezzeh from its chasm upon the plain. Here it turns eastward, and flowing along the north wall of the city takes its way across the plain to the two northern lakes. It is a deep, broad, rushing mountain stream; and although not less than nine or ten branches are 'taken from it, some of them quite large, for the supply of the city and the plain, yet it still flows on as a large stream, and enters the middle lake by two channels." It is judged that this river furnishes water to 14 villages, and 150,000 inhabitants. In the Arabic version Abana is translated 'Barda,' which goes to confirm the conjecture that Barada is the Abana of Scripture.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary [4]

Naaman, the leper, on being directed to wash in the river Jordan, says,  2 Kings 5:12 , "Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?" Probably the Abana is a branch of the Barrady, or Chrysorrhoas, which derives its source from the foot of Mount Libanus, eastward; runs round and through Damascus, and continues its course till lost in the wilderness, four or five leagues south of the city. Benjamin of Tudela will have that part of Barrady which runs through Damascus to be the Abana, and the streams which water the gardens without the city, to be Pharpar; but perhaps the Pharpar is the same with Orontes, the most noted river of Syria, which taking its rise a little to the north or north-east of Damascus, glides through a delightful plain, till, after passing Antioch, and running about two hundred miles to the north-west, it loses itself in the Mediterranean sea,  2 Kings 5:12 .

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary [5]

A river of Damascus, made memorable on account of Naaman's leprosy. Its name is compounded of Aben, a stone, and Bana, to build. The Syrian prided himself on the greatness of this river, and contemned the sacred streams of Jordan. His conduct was not unsimilar to modern Syrians in nature; who think high of their own moral excellency, and cannot brook the necessity of being washed from the leprosy of sin, in the blood of Christ. May we not say with the poor captive servant in the house of Naaman: Would God that sinners, conscious, like Naaman, of their disease, "were with the Lord God of the prophets, for he would recover them of their leprosy!" (See  2 Kings 5:1-14.)

Smith's Bible Dictionary [6]

Ab'ana. (Perennial, Stony). One of the "rivers of Damascus."  2 Kings 5:12. The Barada and the Awaj are now the chief streams of Damascus, the former representing the Abana and the latter the Pharpar of the text. The Barada (Abana) rises in the Antilibanus, at about 23 miles from the city, after flowing through which it runs across the plain, of whose fertility it is the chief source, till it loses itself in the lake or marsh Bahret-el-Kibliyeh.

Holman Bible Dictionary [7]

 2 Kings 5:12 Song of Solomon 4:8

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [8]

[many Ab'ana] (Heb. Abanah', אֲבָנָה ; Sept. ‘Αβανά ; Vulg. Abana; or rather, as in the margin, AMANAH (See Amanah) [q.v.]; Heb. Amanah', אֲמָנָה [comp.  Isaiah 23:16], since the latter means Perennial; Gesenius, Thesaur. Heb. p. 116), a stream mentioned by Naaman as being one of the rivers of Damascus; another being the Pharpar ( 2 Kings 5:12). The main stream by which Damascus is now irrigated is called Barada, the Chrysorrhoas, or "golden stream" of the ancient geographers (Strabo, p. 755), which, as soon as it issues from a cleft of the Anti-Lebanon mountains, is immediately divided into three smaller courses. The central or principal stream runs straight toward the city, and there supplies the different public cisterns, baths, and fountains; the other branches diverge to the right and left along the rising ground on either hand, and, having furnished the means of extensive irrigation, fall again into the main channel, after diffusing their fertilizing influences, and are at length lost in a marsh or lake, which is known as the Bahr el-Merj, or Lake of the Meadow. Dr. Richardson (Travels, 2:499) states that the "water of the Barada, like the water of the Jordan, is of a white, sulfurous hue, and an unpleasant taste." Some contend that the Barada is the Abana and are only at a loss for the Pharpar; others find both in the two subsidiary streams, and neglect the Barada; while still others seek the Abana in the small river Fijih, which Dr. Richardson describes as rising near a village of the same name in a pleasant valley fifteen or twenty miles to the north-west of Damascus. It issues from the limestone rock, in a deep, rapid stream, about thirty feet wide. It is pure and cold as iced water; and, after coursing down a stony and rugged channel for above a hundred yards, falls into the Barada, which comes from another valley, and at the point of junction is only half as wide as the Fijih. The Abana or Amana has been identified by some (especially Gesenius, Neb. Lex.) with the Barada, from the coincidence of the name Amana mentioned in  Song of Solomon 4:8, as one of the tops of Anti-Libanus, from which the Chrysorrhoas (or Barada) flows; and the ruins of Abila, now found on the banks of that stream, are thought to confirm this view. A better reason for this identification is, that Naaman would be more likely to refer to some prominent stream like the Barada, rather than to a small and comparatively remote fountain like the Fijih. (See Pharpar). The turbid character of the water of Barada is no objection to this view, since Naaman refers to Abana as important for its Medicinal qualities rather than on account of its limpid coldness. The identification of the Abana with the Barada is confirmed by the probable coincidence of the Pharpar with the Arvaj; these being the only considerable streams in the vicinity of Damascus (Bibliotheca Sacra, 1849, p. 371; Robinson's Researches, new ed. 3, 447). This is the view taken by the latest traveler who has canvassed the question at length (J. L. Porter, in the Jour. of Sacr. Literature. July, 1853, p. 245 sq.). According to Schwarz (Palest. p. 54), the Jews of Damascus traditionally identify the Barada with the Amana (q.v.). The Arabic version of the passage in Kings has Barda. According to Lightfoot (Cent. Chor. 4) the river in question was also called Kirmijon ( קַרְמַיּון ), a name applied in the Talmud to a river of Palestine (Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. col. 2138). (See Damascus).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature [9]

Ab´ana, or, as it is given in the marginal reading, Amana, the name of one of the rivers which are mentioned by Naaman ( 2 Kings 5:12), 'Abana and Pharpar,' as 'rivers of Damascus.' Amana signifies 'perennial,' and is probably the true name. At the present day it is scarcely possible to discover with certainty the stream to which this name was applied. The most recent conjecture seeks the Abana in the small river Fidgi, which rises in a pleasant valley fifteen or twenty miles to the north-west of Damascus and falls into the Barrada, the main stream by which Damascus is irrigated.

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