Atallah is
the earliest known ancestor of the Abou Rjeily family, whose documented
history begins in the seventeenth century in Mount Lebanon.
He was the
son of Nasr, who was himself the son of Merjan. Nasr had a
brother, Nader, from whom the Nader and Berberi
families descend.
Merjan
belonged to a Christian family that had migrated from Hawran (in
present-day Syria) to Kesrouan, and later to Jbeil,
following the Islamic conquest of the region in the seventh century. His
family eventually settled in Barbara, where they remained for
generations in order to preserve their faith.
In the early
seventeenth century, Atallah left Barbara and moved to the village of
Ktéléh in Metn, situated in the valley between the Metn and
Aley districts. At that time, the area was one of the feudal domains of
the Lamaï princes, notably Prince Murad el-Lamaï.
Atallah
married and fathered four sons: Elias, Farès, Yaghi, and Dib.
As they grew
older, his sons distinguished themselves through their dedication to
Prince Murad. During a visit to congratulate the prince on a significant
achievement, Murad publicly addressed Atallah as “Abou al-Rijal”—Father
of the men—in recognition of the services he and his sons had
rendered. This honorific soon became the family’s collective name. Over
time, “Abou al-Rijal” evolved linguistically into “Abou
Rjeily.”
One group relocated to Bhamdoun, Hab Ramoun, Ramlié, and
nearby villages under the authority of the Abed el-Malak family.
