The English book is an exact translation of an old Arabic book likely written between 1934 and 1940. The author remains unknown.
The Origin
Origins and
History of the Abou Rjeily Family
The origins of the
Abou Rjeily family trace back to their earliest known ancestor, Atallah,
who migrated from the village of Barbara[1] on the Batroun coast to the
village of Ktéléh[2] in Metn[3] at the beginning of the
seventeenth century.
Atallah was the son
of Nasr, grandson of Merjan. Nasr had a brother, Nader,
from whom the Nader and Berberi families descend.
Merjan belonged to
one of the Christian families that fled Hawran[4] after the Islamic
conquest in the seventh century. These families moved first to Kesrouan[5],
then to the Jbeil region, and eventually settled in Barbara for a considerable
period to safeguard their faith.
At the start of the
seventeenth century, when the Shiite Hamada family exercised strong influence
over the Jbeil and Kesrouan districts, Atallah left Barbara and settled in
Ktéléh—one of the fiefs of Amir Murad el-Lamaï. There, he married and had
four sons: Elias, Farès, Yaghi, and Dib.
As they grew,
Atallah’s sons distinguished themselves in the service of Prince Murad. During a
visit to congratulate the prince on a notable success, the prince addressed
Atallah publicly as “Abou al-Rijal” (Father of the men) in recognition of
the loyalty and service he and his sons had shown. This title became the
family’s designation and, over generations, evolved into the name “Abou
Rjeily.”
Migrations and
Expansion of the Family
The descendants of
Atallah multiplied until tensions arose with the Lamaï princes, the sons of
Murad. In keeping with the customs of the time, the family chose to leave the
region.
One group moved to Bhamdoun[6], Hab Ramoun, Ramlieh[11],
and surrounding villages under the authority of the Abed el-Malak family.
Another group headed toward the Bekaa Valley. When they reached
Chbaniéh, part of the fief of Kaed Bey el-Lamaï (a cousin of Prince
Murad), the prince prevented them from continuing eastward and directed them
instead to Deir Khouna[7], near Ktéléh and within his domain. Kaed Bey
sought to reconcile them with his cousins, the Lamaï family. Many returned to
Ktéléh; others remained in Deir Khouna.
From these two
branches descend the Abou Rjeily families of Beirut, Chiyah, Taltita[^8],
Chbanié, Hammana, Kab Elias, Zahlé, Baalbeck, and Kfarzabad[9].
The branches living in Mazraat el-Nahr, Rishmaya, Kfarmatta, Ser Jbeil[10],
Benwayté, Deir El-Kamar, Wadi el-Deir, Amik, Tehzaniyé, and Ain
el-Sindiyani descend from the families that settled in Bhamdoun, Hab
Ramoun, and Ramlieh.
Family Lines
The Abou Rjeily
family later divided into four distinct branches, each carrying a
characteristic nickname in addition to the family name.
1. The Harmoush
Branch — Beirut
This line descends
from Salloum, son of Nicolas, son of Jabbour, son of Saad, son of
Yazbeck, son of Nemr, son of Farès, son of Atallah. Salloum moved from Ktéléh to
Beirut at the end of the eighteenth century and settled in Mazraat
el-Arab. He married Elizabeth, daughter of the Harmouch family.
Although he later returned to Ktéléh, Elizabeth eventually brought their three
sons — Nicolas, Bechara, and Mitri — back to Beirut for education. Living
with their maternal relatives, the boys came to be known by the name Harmouch,
a designation that their father eventually adopted as well.
Nicolas,
the eldest son, distinguished himself through intelligence and courage. He
joined Prince Bashir el-Chehabi the Great during the attack on the Sanour
fortress in support of Abdallah Bacha, governor of Akka. Nicolas displayed
extraordinary bravery and was named Sheikh of Mazraat el-Arab.
Sheikh Younés Badran later married him to his daughter Hawen, who bore
him two sons: Assaad and Lutfallah.
A tragic episode
marked Nicolas’s life: after sending young boys instead of adult builders
requested by the prince, his enemies denounced him. When the prince’s men
attempted to seize him, Nicolas resisted and killed two of them. He fled, but
was later ambushed and killed by the deliberate dropping of a rock at a quarry
in south Beirut. The perpetrator was executed by the prince in grief and anger.
Assaad and Lutfallah
became notable men:
2. The Naoum
Branch — Serjbal
This line descends
from Naoum, son of Nemr, son of Farès, son of Atallah. Those who settled
in Serjbal and the surrounding region adopted the name Naoum to
distinguish themselves.
Notable members include Agapios, Archbishop of Tyre and the Sea (Roman
Catholic), and his brother Father Boutros.
3. The Slaybi
Branch — Chiyah
The Slaybi family
descends from Slaibi, son of Saber, son of Atallah, son of Elias, son of
Atallah. Because the name “Slaibi” was common, the members of this line
gradually incorporated their father’s and grandfather’s names for distinction.
Over time, Slaibi became their stable family nickname.
4. The Hajjar
Branch — Kab Elias
This branch traces
back to Youssef, son of Chédid, son of Daher, son of Michael, son of
Yaghi, son of Atallah. Youssef first settled in Maksi near Kab Elias and
married Hajjariya, a widow from Furzul. They had four sons:
Murad, Saad, Makhoul, and Abdallah. After Youssef’s early death, Hajjariya
relocated with her children to Kab Elias, where the family came to be
known by her name — Hajjar.
The name was carried by both the children of Youssef and the children from
Hajjariya’s first marriage.
The Kfarzabad
Branch
This line descends
from Elias, son of Yaghi, son of Michael, son of Farès. Elias served
Prince Farès el-Lamaï in Ras el-Metn. An altercation involving the prince’s
mule forced him to flee to Zahlé, where he sought refuge with the
Musallem family. He later married the daughter of Hatem Musallem and
oversaw their estates in Douris, near Baalbeck.
During the 1824
civil conflict between Prince Bashir el-Chehabi and Sheikh Bashir
el-Junblati, Christian factions increased in Kfarzabad after a violent
confrontation in which Jabbour, son of Saad, son of Yazbek, son of Nemr,
son of Farès, son of Atallah, showed remarkable courage.
Hearing of these
events, Elias left Douris to reunite with his kin. He settled in Kfarzabad
with his three sons — Youssef, Ibrahim, and Farès — marking the
foundation of this branch.
One of his descendants is the noted Salim Nassif of Zahlé.
Distinguished
Figures
The Abou Rjeily
family produced several prominent religious figures, including:
Footnotes
[1] Barbara is a coastal village in Jbeil County, located 55 km north of Beirut. It lies between two major tourist cities: Jbeil (Byblos) and Batroun.
[2] Ktéléh is a small village situated in the valley between Bhamdoun and Ras El Metn. Few members of the Abou Rjeily family reside there today.
[3] Metn is a tourist county in Mount Lebanon, bordered by Kesrouan to the north, Aley to the south, Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the Bekaa Valley to the east.
[4] Hawran, also known as Hauran, is a district located in southeastern Syria on the border with Jordan, beyond the Golan Heights. It features conical volcanic peaks, barren lava fields, and fertile lava soil. The Druze Mountains in the northeast contain numerous caverns that were once inhabited. Major towns include Dara, Busra ash-Sham, and Izra, which date back to Hellenistic times. Agriculture in Hawran produces grains and fruits, including grapes. The majority of the population are Druze who migrated from Lebanon in the 18th and 19th centuries. Historically, Hawran was part of the biblical kingdom of Bashan, later becoming the Roman province of Auranitis. The region converted to Christianity by the late 2nd century and flourished until the Arab invasion in the 7th century. During the Crusades, Muslims displaced from Palestine settled in Hawran to resist the Christians. The area is known for its ancient towns with structures entirely made of lava, and approximately 300 of these "giant cities of Bashan" have been identified, featuring inscriptions in Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Sabean.
[5] Kesrouan and Jbeil are two counties in Mount Lebanon that provided refuge for Christians fleeing the Islamic conquest in the 7th century in the eastern Mediterranean.
[6] Bhamdoun is a village located in Aley County in Mount Lebanon.
[7] Deir Khouna is an abandoned village near Ktéléh in the valley of Ras El Metn.
[8] Taltita is a small village situated between Ktéléh and Bhamdoun, now known as Bhamdoun El Mhatta.
[9] Kfar Zabad is a village east of the Bekaa Valley near the Lebanese-Syrian border.
[10] Ser Jbeil, Benwayté, Deir El Kamar, and Wadi el-Deir are all villages in the Chouf County, south of Aley County.
[11] Ramlieh, and Hab Ramoun are villages near Chartoun in Aley County in Mount Lebanon.