The area, in North Eastern Syria, in which the city of Ras Al-Ayn is located has been inhabited since at least 8,000 BC. Today the city is inhabited predominantly by Arabs and Kurds, with a significant number of Syriacs/Assyrians and a smaller number of Armenians and Chechens.
Later Ras Al-Ayn was known as the ancient Aramean city of Sikkan, then as the Roman city of Rhesaina, and then as the Byzantine city of Theodosipolis. The area was destroyed and rebuilt several times, and in medieval times was fiercely embattled between several Muslim dynasties.
The first mention of Ras Al-Ayn is in Akkadian "Res'Ina during the reign of the Assyrian king Adad-Nirari (911-891BC). The Arabic name 'Ras Al-Ayn' derives from the Akkadian and has the same meaning:"Head of the spring." Or, "Hill of the spring,"indication a prominent mountain formation close to a well.
The underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves that form the springs around Ra'Al-Ayn are the main source of water of the Chebar River. Chebar means "strong", "many", "powerful".
In the Scripture, Che'Bar is defined as the River in the "land of the Chaldeans", known as "Babylon".
An artificial but powerful and royal water canal, property of the Assyrian king Nabuchadnezzar, besides whose fertile banks he located a part of the captive Jews and the place from where the prophet Ezekiel received his first prophetic and recorded vision of the Cherubim-Throne, the stunning effect of which lasted 7 days, and of his commissioning as "a watchman ... to the House of Israel, (Ezekiel 1:1-3:23), as well as a number of other similar prophetic oracles (10:15, 20, 22; 43:3).
The exact identification of the River is not possible. Shifting and flooding of the Euphrates River are known to have greatly altered the topography of the area over the centuries.
Ezekiel used the term 'River' in its widest sense to include the numerous Babylonian canals that once intersected the fertile area between the lower courses of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. The reason why they built the numerous canals was as a means of defense in order to contain the destructive waters of the flooding season not only by the excess but also by the depositing layers of soil-ruining salt over the agricultural areas. Many of these canals were broad enough for large sailing vessels, serving thereby to enhance Babylon's already renowned commercial and economic position.
In antiquity the course of the grand canal left the Euphrates North of Sippar and ran South East ca. 300 km / 186 mi through the Nippur Region before rejoining the Euphrates South of ancient Uruk. It is said to have been 15 to 20 ft / 4.6 to 6.1m deep in places, a sufficient depth to make it navigable by certain vessels. Today this artificial watercourse is dry.
The place 'the land of the Chaldeans' was a spot where Babel began. The name 'Babel' in Hebrew is the equivalent of 'Babylon' in Greek. Thus, Chaldea is actually Babylon and Babylon is Babel, the place where Satan collected the fallen people to rebel against God. The very place where Ezekiel saw the visions is the place where Satan instigated the greatest rebellion against God among the fallen people. That was also the place out of which God called Abraham (Genesis 11), and the very place into which the rebellious have fallen. In today Christian World, are most Christians on the right way to the Promised Land or in the land of the Chaldeans? The Book of Ezekiel exactly fits the situation of Christians today.
Chebar is also mentioned in several cuneiform documents of the 5th century BC from Nippur. The document certifies that the area was inhabited by a community of Jews that were exiled or in captivity. Cuneiform tables found from the archives of a Babylonian brokerage firm contains many Jewish names among their lists of clientele.
According to the Scripture the captives of Judah were deported to a place called Tel-Abib which was by the Chebar River (Grand Canal) in the land of the Chaldeans (Babylon). The name means 'Mount of the Deluge' because it was destructively flooded and ruined constantly by the Euphrates River. The prophet Ezekiel was among the first to be taken captive. When Ezekiel saw the visions, he was by a River. The River signifies the power of the enemy to damage God's chosen people.
Today the Chebar River is the satanic tide of the age that carries people away from God to Babylon.
There are two Rivers in the Book of Ezekiel: the Chebar River in chapter one and the River flowing out of the Temple in chapter forty-seven. The Chebar River carries the people away from God, but the River flowing out of the Temple brings people into God's life. These two Rivers are still on earth today. One River is the trend, the course, the tide, of this World, the River of Babylon, the River in the fallen World, which carries people away from God. And the River of the Lord that carries life wherever it comes and goes, the River of the Holy Land. You are free to choose in which River you want your journey in this World.
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