, ▁the ▁Muslim s , ▁having ▁studied ▁the ▁ground ▁in ▁detail , ▁l ured ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁into ▁pitch ed ▁battle , ▁which ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁usually ▁avoided , ▁and ▁into ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁cost ly ▁assault s , ▁before ▁turning ▁the ▁deep ▁valle ys ▁and ▁cl iffs ▁into ▁a ▁cat ast roph ic ▁death - t rap . ▁Her ac lius ' ▁fare well ▁ex clam ation ▁( acc ording ▁to ▁the ▁ 9 th - century ▁historian ▁Al - Bal ad h uri ) ▁while ▁depart ing ▁Ant io ch ▁for ▁Constantin ople , ▁is ▁express ive ▁of ▁his ▁disappoint ment : ▁" Pe ace ▁unto ▁thee , ▁O ▁Sy ria , ▁and ▁what ▁an ▁excellent ▁country ▁this ▁is ▁for ▁the ▁enemy !" ▁The ▁impact ▁of ▁Sy ria ' s ▁loss ▁on ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁is ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Jo annes ▁Z on ar as ' ▁words : ▁"[ ...] ▁since ▁then ▁[ after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Sy ria ] ▁the ▁race ▁of ▁the ▁I sh ma el ites ▁did ▁not ▁ce ase ▁from ▁inv ading ▁and ▁pl und ering ▁the ▁entire ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁Rom ans ". ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 6 3 7 ▁the ▁Arab s , ▁after ▁a ▁long ▁sie ge , ▁captured ▁Jerusalem , ▁which ▁was ▁surrender ed ▁by ▁Patri arch ▁S op hr on ius . ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 6 3 7 , ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁conquer ed ▁Gaz a , ▁and , ▁during ▁the ▁same ▁period , ▁the