With her forest of foliage and her abundance of water, Damascus must be a wonder of wonders to the Bedouin from the deserts.

Damascus is simply an oasis--that is what it is.

For four thousand years its waters have not gone dry or its fertility failed.
Now we can understand why the city has existed so long.

It could not die.

So long as its waters remain to it away out there in the midst of that howling desert, so long will Damascus live to bless the sight of the tired and thirsty wayfarer.
"Though old as history itself, thou art fresh as the breath of spring, blooming as thine own rose-bud, and fragrant as thine own orange flower, O Damascus, pearl of the East!" Damascus dates back anterior to the days of Abraham, and is the oldest city in the world.