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Coelesyria

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Coelesy´ria, the hollow Syria. This name, which is evidently of Grecian origin in the times of the Seleucidae, was originally applied to the valley lying between the mountain-ranges of Libanus and Anti-Libanus. It was also used to denote the whole tract of country (with the exception of Judea and Phoenicia) reaching from Seleucis to Arabia and the confines of Egypt. In the time of David, Coelesyria was probably included in 'Syria of Damascus,' which was conquered by that monarch (), but recovered from Solomon by Rezon the son of Eliadah (). The possession of it was an object of many struggles between the Seleucida and the kings of Egypt. Bochart supposes that Syrophoenicia is the same as Coelesyria. Scythopolis and Gadara are mentioned by Josephus as cities of Coelesyria. Under the Emperor Dioclesian, Phoenice and Coelesyria formed one province, called Phoenicia Libanica. Under the present Turkish government the western part of Coelesyria is in the Pashalic of Saide, and the eastern in the Pashalic of Damascus.