Pharpar

Pharpar, along with the Abana (or Amana), was one of the two rivers of Damascus mentioned in the Bible (2 Kgs. 5:12). When Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, sought healing from his leprosy, the prophet Elisha instructed him to wash seven times in the Jordan River (2 Kgs. 5:10). Naaman was initially angry at this suggestion, exclaiming, "Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" (2 Kgs. 5:12). However, after being persuaded by his servants, Naaman followed Elisha's instructions and was healed of his leprosy (2 Kgs. 5:13-14). The Pharpar River, which still exists today, flows from the Anti-Lebanon mountains and runs through the city of Damascus before emptying into a lake east of the city. Naaman's initial reluctance to wash in the Jordan highlights the pride and prejudice that can hinder people from experiencing God's healing and blessing.