Pharpar standard
of Solomon. xliv ff; Nicolas. Doctrines religieuses des juifs, 48 ff. See ABANAH.
Where is Pharpar in the Bible?
Pharpar was a river located in Damascus, in what is now Syria, and is mentioned in the Bible as one of the major waterways of that ancient city. The river appears in 2 Kings 5, where Naaman, a Syrian military commander afflicted with leprosy, references both the Pharpar and the Abana River when discussing the waters of Damascus. When the prophet Elisha instructed Naaman to wash in the Jordan River for his healing, Naaman initially objected, questioning why the Pharpar and Abana, the rivers of his homeland, would not be sufficient for his cure. This account illustrates the geographical and cultural significance of these Damascus rivers in biblical times and highlights the spiritual importance of obedience to God's specific instructions over human reasoning.