Straight Gate

Straight, a street in Damascus where Saul stayed in the house of Judas after his conversion (Act 9:11).

Straight was the name of a street in Damascus where Saul (later known as Paul) stayed in the house of a man named Judas after his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (Act.9.11). It was on this street that Ananias found Saul, as instructed by the Lord in a vision, and restored his sight. The Straight Street in Damascus is still known by this name today and is believed to follow the course of the ancient Roman road, the Via Recta, which ran from east to west through the city.

The street called “Straight” at Damascus (Acts 9:11) is “a long broad street, running from east to west, about a mile in length, and forming the principal thoroughfare in the city.” In Oriental towns streets are usually narrow and irregular and filthy (Ps. 18:42; Isa. 10:6). “It is remarkable,” says Porter, “that all the important cities of Palestine and Syria Samaria, Caesarea, Gerasa, Bozrah, Damascus, Palmyra, had their ‘straight streets’ running through the centre of the city, and lined with stately rows of columns. The most perfect now remaining are those of Palmyra and Gerasa, where long ranges of the columns still stand.”, Through Samaria, etc.