Religion and Culture

The Arameans of Damascus worshiped several deities associated with the wider religious traditions of Syria.

Hadad, a storm and fertility god, was especially important. His name appears in royal names such as Ben-Hadad and in inscriptions connected with Aramean kings.

The Tel Dan Stele credits Hadad with granting victory to its royal author, demonstrating the close relationship between kingship, warfare, and religious belief.

Aramean religion shared features with neighboring Canaanite and Syrian traditions, including the worship of gods associated with storms, fertility, protection, and political power.

The Arameans spoke Aramaic, a Northwest Semitic language related to Hebrew and Phoenician.

Aramaic eventually became one of the most widely used languages of the ancient Near East. Its importance continued long after the political kingdom of Damascus disappeared.