<p class="bodytext">When King Ahaz went to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria in Damascus, he saw the altar there.<n id="1" /> King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a drawing of the altar and a blueprint for its design.<n id="2" />

Uriah the priest built an altar in conformity to the plans King Ahaz had sent from Damascus.<n id="1" /> Uriah the priest finished it before King Ahaz arrived back from Damascus.<n id="2" />

The rivers of Damascus, the Abana and Pharpar, are better than any of the waters of Israel!<n id="1" /> Could I not wash in them and be healed?&#8221; So he turned around and went away angry.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Elisha traveled to Damascus while King Ben Hadad of Syria was sick. The king<n id="1" /> was told, &#8220;The prophet<n id="2" /> has come here.&#8221;

The king of Assyria responded favorably to his request;<n id="1" /> he<n id="2" /> attacked Damascus and captured it. He deported the people<n id="3" /> to Kir and executed Rezin.p>

When the king arrived back from Damascus and<n id="1" /> saw the altar, he approached it<n id="2" /> and offered a sacrifice on it.<n id="3" />

So Hazael went to visit Elisha.<n id="1" /> He took along a gift,<n id="2" /> as well as<n id="3" /> forty camel loads of all the fine things of Damascus. When he arrived, he stood before him and said, &#8220;Your son,<n id="4" /> King Ben Hadad of Syria, has sent me to you with this question,<n id="5" /> &#8216;Will I recover from this sickness?&#8217;&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The rest of the events of Jeroboam&#8217;s reign, including all his accomplishments, his military success in restoring Israelite control over Damascus and Hamath, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.<n id="1" />