0 ▁kilom eters ▁( 3 7   mi ) ▁south ▁of ▁H oms , ▁and ▁ 1 0 1 ▁kilom eters ▁( 6 3   mi ) ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁Dam asc us . ▁It ▁had ▁over ▁ 3 , 5 0 0 ▁inhabitants ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁census , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁whom ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁Sy ri ac ▁Orth odox ▁Church . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁Sad ad ▁is ▁an ▁ancient ▁village ; ▁it ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁" Z edad " ▁( ▁/ ▁T z edad ; ▁translated ▁as ▁" S ed ada " ▁in ▁the ▁V ul gate ) ▁mentioned ▁in ▁the ▁Old ▁Testament ▁( Book ▁of ▁Num bers , ▁; ▁Book ▁of ▁E zek iel , ▁), ▁on ▁the ▁n ort he astern ▁boundary ▁of ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁land ▁of ▁C ana an , ▁the ▁land ▁promised ▁to ▁the ▁Israel ites . ▁ ▁Is ol ated ▁on ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁desert , ▁the ▁community ▁has ▁remained ▁pre domin antly ▁Sy ri ac ▁Orth odox , ▁including ▁after ▁the ▁Muslim ▁con quest ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 7 th ▁century . ▁Ar ama ic ▁is ▁still ▁spoken ▁in ▁the ▁village . ▁Sad ad ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁important ▁bishop ric ▁in ▁the ▁past . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁close ▁connection ▁between ▁Sad ad ▁and ▁the ▁Mon aster y ▁of ▁Saint ▁Mos es ▁the ▁A by ss in ian ; ▁according ▁to ▁Ist if an ▁al - D u way hi , ▁some