Image Description from historic lecture booklet: "The Lebanon Mountains, 15 to 20 miles away, reach an altitude of 10,000 feel, and late in the summer, snow may be seen in several places. Around the walls on all sides are sparkling waters, flower gardens, and the rustling leaves of many graceful trees. Baalbek is the Heliopolis of Greek and Roman authors, but we possess no written record regarding the city earlier than the third or fourth century of our era. It was formerly on of the most famous and important cities of Syria, and contained many palaces and monument. In 636 A.D. Baalbek fell into the hands of the Mohammedans, and in 748 A.D. was sacked by the Kalif of Damascus. The site is now occupied by a modern village and ruins of the ancient temple. The main attractions of Baalbek are these wonderful ruins, which surpass even those of Greece and Rome in the vastness of its temples. If one may judge from the crumbling ruins, no other structure so exquisitely beautiful ever enchan
Image Description from historic lecture booklet: "Damascus lies on the western margin of the great Syrian desert in a plain of luxuriant verdure, surrounded on three sides by mountains thirty miles in extent. the district is regarded by the Arabs as an earthly reflection of Paradise--an orchard traversed by streams of flowing water. Damascus is supposed to be the oldest city in the world-- certainly the longest for continued existence. It was first mentioned in the Bible in Abraham's time (Gen. 14:15) It is altogether likely that Abraham stopped here on his way from UR of the Chaldees. It has successfully passed under the dominion of the Assyrian, Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Saracens, and finally was captured by the Turks in 1516. And today it is still the capital of nearly all Syria, and is the most populous and flourishing city of the East."
