Rappa
There's something like the Damascus Gate in ancient Jerusalem that is vaguely on the north side of the city, as is Syria too. The Gate points equally to Lebanon, and Sidon.
But the gate has probably got nothing, or at least very little to do with Syrians, or their nature.
There is some consideration as to where the ancient Damascus Road is, as it has assumed some importance of late, in that the Essenes wrote of it to some extent in the Dead Sea Scrolls - as their home.
There is also significant doubt that the Dead Sea Scrolls were the writings of the Essenes, but are rather a significant cache of Talmudic writing, bits of Tanakh & other documents salvaged from the destruction by Titus, of the Temple in Jerusalem, and as such a trove of significance. Together they include the writing of perhaps, and more likely, the Maccabees. The Maccabees and the Essenses are two very different peoples, both deeply vexed by the fairly clear intent of the Romans to destroy the Judeans. Something the Romans eventually do do. So the writings were deeply eschatological. There is an unwritten desperation that a saviour King
should emerge of both the lineage of Aaron (the priestly line) and of David (the Regal line)
No King did.
The Jews were decimated (and dispersed.) And so those all important
writings to the Jews are lost to Judaism! (For 2000 years!)
But it does seem that whomsoever it was that converted Saul (?), were a community who lived on the Damascus Road. Saul (?) (unnamed) a Roman Citizen of Greek heritage, language and education, seemingly caused a lot of trouble for the community, for although he was an excellent scholar and so presumably convert, he would not stick to the orthodox liturgy. Particularly after this one leader was killed by the Romans! Jesus is not named. Yet Saul promotes the teachings of this leader, as if he was the doctrine of the community. Which strictly or technically it is not!
If that is in fact were the Dead Sea Scrolls were secreted away & hidden, then the name of the road has almost nothing to do with the Syrians either, for the Dead Sea scrolls where buried along the route to Amman Jordan, and the vital trade route to Babylon, the Gulf and ultimately Silk Road to distant Samarkand.
A road of some vital importance to the Romans. Whereas the people that lived along it were of absolutely no importance to the Romans, but that they happened to be a bloody irritating bunch - and so it took a Legion to destroy them.
s.i.g.
