“And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:” 
( Deuter 26:5 )

“And he carried away all his cattle and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.” ( Genesis 31:18 )

The Arameans were originally nomadic people who inhabited the Syrian Desert and surrounding areas. As the power of the Assyrian Empire grew in the ancient Near East, the Arameans gradually transitioned from being nomadic to establishing settled communities. They became influential in northern Syria and eventually emerged as a dominant force in the region. This shift in their status and lifestyle occurred during the first millennium B.C. as the Assyrian Empire expanded its control over various territories in the Near East, including parts of Syria.

“And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.”  ( Genesis 25:20 )

“And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad” ( Genesis 31:24 )

‘And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.” ( Genesis 31:20 ) 

During the 9th and 8th centuries BC, the Arameans, once a formidable force, found themselves subdued by the mighty Assyrians. The Assyrian Empire expanded its control over various regions, including parts of Aramean territory, the Arameans came under Assyrian rule and became part of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians exerted their influence and authority over these conquered lands, including the Aramean-populated areas. Baal worship was indeed practised by some Aramean communities, among others, in the ancient Near East. This deity had various attributes and was associated with fertility, storms, and other aspects of nature, depending on the specific tradition and period.  

“They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshipped Baal.” ( 2 Kings 17:16-17 )

“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:’” ( Genesis 3:22 )

In ancient times, the Arameans had historical connections with Israel, serving as ancestors to a portion of the Israelites. It is from this shared ancestry that the Aramean group emerged.

“The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.” ( Genesis 10:22 )

According to the Patriarchal tradition recorded in Genesis, individuals named Bethuel and Laban, who were referred to as Arameans, resided in Padan-Aram, a region located in Mesopotamia. These individuals are described as descendants of Nahor, who was the brother of Abram ( later known as Abraham ).

“Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother” (Genesis 28:2)

“ And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.” ( Genesis 24:10 ) 

“ And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.” ( Genesis 24:4 )

‘And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.” ( Genesis 25:20 )

Israel frequently engaged in conflicts with the Arameans, yet they maintained continuous cultural interactions. After the 12th century BC, the northern Syrian regions inhabited by the Aramaic people often came under the control or influence of various empires and foreign powers. These regions experienced a series of conquests and changes in rulership. Some of the notable empires and powers that held sway over these areas included the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, and the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire.

“ And he took up his parable, and said, Balak, the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.” ( Numbers 23:7 )

“Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam, but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee because the LORD thy God loved thee.” ( Deuteronomy 23:5 )

Arameans, hailing from regions such as Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, are among the Christian ethnic communities in the Middle East. They trace their ancestry back to the Aramean populace that inhabited the Fertile Crescent from biblical times until the early centuries CE.