The Daysan River or Daisan River was the name of the river that flowed through
Urfa, a tributary of the
Khabur. Historically known as the Scirtus ( grc, Σκίρτος),
[ Procopius, ''de Aed.'' 2.7] Procopius describes it as a river of Mesopotamia, a western tributary of the
Chaboras (modern Khabur). It flowed from 25 sources, and ran past
Edessa
Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Osroene ...
. (''Chron. Edess.'' in Asseman, ''Bibl. Or.'' i. p. 388.) Its name, which signifies the skipping or jumping (from σκιρτάω), is said to have been derived from its rapid course and its frequent overflowings; and its present name of Daysan or Daisan means the same thing. The river has flooded Edessa numerous times, including in 204, 305, and 415 CE. The Syriac writer
Bardaisan takes his name from the river.
References
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Rivers of Turkey
Edessa
Tributaries of the Khabur (Euphrates)
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