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Aram refers to an area of land northeast of Palestine. It extended from there to beyond the Eurphrates and the Tigris. Its principal city was Damascus.
In the Old Testament, the word Aram often was used to descibe all or part of the general area of Syria.
The words Aram and Syria can be used interchangeably. Some English translations of the Bible, for example, such as the New International Version, or NIV, will use the word Aram. Some other translations, such as the English Standard Version, or ESV, use the word Syria.
In the New Testament, the word Syria is commonly used to refer to the same area. During Roman times, Syria included a portions of Palestine and Asia Minor.
In the Old Testament's book of Kings 1, we are told that Syria was at odds with Israel during the reign of King Solomon, about 2900 years ago:
23 God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the killing by David. And they went to Damascus and lived there and made him king in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, doing harm as Hadad did. And he loathed Israel and reigned over Syria. (1 Kings 11:23-25, ESV)
During New Testament times, information about the miracles being performed by Jesus spread into Syria, as noted in the book of Matthew:
So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. (Matthew 4:24, ESV)
Aram appears in 5 Bible verses: Num 23:7, 2 Sam 8:6, 2 Sam 15:8, 1 Chr 2:23 and Hos 12:12.
Next Bible place: Assyria
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