Bane, Lebanon

The village is situated in north of Lebanon. Its location in the Valley of Qadisha (also known as The Valley Of The Saints) is seen as having a deep spiritual importance by its residents. The village is mentioned in documents as old as 1265 AD.[1]

It is situated at an altitude of 1,470 metres and is 132 km (80 miles) from Beirut; 46 km (28 miles) from Tripoli, and 8 km (5 miles) from the Cedars of God Forest. It is located on the road going from Ehden to Bsharri in the northern part of the Qadisha valley.

The village hosts several religious sites including the Mar Jeryes church, Saydet el-Ha’leh church and Mar Youssef convent. The hiking trial beside the village is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[2][1]

Originally, there were only a handful of families in Bane but this has grown over time. Below is a complete list of all families from Bane today:
Abraham, Antoun, Aouchan, Aoutel, Abdo, Abdow, Bainy, Baynie, Beaini, Beshara, Chiha (Sheehi in North America), Daabul, Daboul, Daoud, Elhage, Estephan, Fachkha, Fahim, Gabriel, Habkouk, Hassarati, Kaoutal, Khamis, Khedair, Khodeir, Khoudair, Khouri, Khoury, Lahoud, Mait, Meait, Moiet, Maait, Moit, Mahboub, Massoud, Merhi, Mikhael, Moussa, Nadwie, Saliba, Semaan, Srour, Sukar, Solomon, Tadros, Zaiter, Zeaiter, Zeidan.

There are approximately 35,000 descendants of Bane villagers living in Australia and many more in America, Mexico, Brazil etc. Descendants have contributed immensely to causes, charities and heritage in both Lebanon and Australia.

There have been many notable clergy from the village over the past six centuries, including;

• Fr. Daniel from Bane

This priest wrote a manuscript in the time of Patriarch Dawud (David) surnamed Yuhanna (John) residing at the Mar Sarkis monastery in the land of Hardin c. 1397 AD.

• Fr. Youhanna Ben Namroun El-Banny

This monk was the Superior of Saint Antonious Qozhaya Monastery in the year 1529. He was re-elected superior of the Monastery in 1556.

• Fr. Murhej Nairoon El-Banny

His father was from Bane, but Murhej was born in Rome around 1625. His Lebanese name "Murhe" was translated into Latin as "Faustus". He entered the Maronite College in Rome in 1636, completed his studies in 1649 and returned to Lebanon. In 1650, he was ordained priest at Mar Abda Heraraya by Patriarch Yuhanna Safrawy. In the same year the Patriarch sent him to Rome to oversee the printing of the Phenqitho, the Maronite "proper of the Saints" in Syriac. In order to obtain the permission to print this book Faustus was requested to translate it into Latin and submit the translation to a Roman committee for examination. Abraham Echellensis, maternal uncle of Faustus (Murhej), was one of the five members of this committee. This book was printed in Rome in 1666 by the congregation of Propaganda Fide.

He remained in Rome was appointed professor of Syriac at the Sapienza, interpreter at Congregation of Propaganda Fide, and pastor of the church of St. Eustache. He died in Rome in 1711. His literary works were:

1. The translation from Syriac into Latin and publication of the Syriac text of the Phenqith in 1652-1666.
2. A treatise on the origin of the Maronites, published in Rome in 1679.
3. An explanation of the Catholic faith in the light of Oriental Syriac documents, Rome 1694.
4. The publication in Arabic and Syriac of the New testament, for the use of the Maronite liturgy Rome, 1703.

• Fr. Youhanna Matta El-Banny

Brother of Murhej Nairoon El-Banny. He entered the Maronite college in 1642, and was ordained a priest in 1663 in Ravenna, Italy.

• Bishop Youhanna Habkouk

The Bishop bequeathed the Monastery of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya to Father Abdallah Qaraaly, Superior General of the Lebanese Maronite Order on 5 July 1708.

• Fr. Antonios Zeaiter

At the age of 18 he joined the Lebanese Maronite order on 22 September 1895 at Saint Mousa Monastery and was ordained a priest on 28 July 1904. He died in Saint Antonios Qazhaya Monastery on 31 December 1943 at the age of 66.

• Fr. Yousef Mahfoud (Descendant of the Habkouk Family)

He was born Gabriel Mahfoud in 1881. At the age of 20 he entered the Lebanese Maronite Order on 15 August 1901 at Kafefine monastery and he was ordained a priest on 10 January 1910. He died in Saint Antonios Qazhaya Monastery on 3 March 1966 at the age of 85.

• Fr. Bernardous Habkouk

He was born in 1905 in Providence, Rhode Island, US. His name was originally Said Masoud Habkouk and he is the son of Masoud Habkouk and Fouz Elias (Merhi) Al-Koury. He returned to his village Bane with his parents in 1917. At the age of 17 he joined the Lebanese Maronite Order on 19 March 1922 at Kafefine monastery and was ordained a priest on 1 May 1931 at the Monastery of our Lady Al-Moohanet, Byblos. He served the Lebanese Maronite order for 58 years, filled with challenges and service to his church and the order, great Speaker and teacher of Christian studies. In 1962 he was appointed a director of the Novice. He served the village as Mar Semaan Al Qarn, Aytto. Father Bernardous declined a high position in his order, but continued to work for the good of his order and the community. He died in Saint Antonious Qazhaya Monastery on 8 March 1978 at the age of 76.

• Fr. Abraham Khoudair

His baptismal name is Armia Khoudair. At the age of 17 he joined the Lebanese Maronite order on 19 March 1922 at Kafefine monastery and was ordained a priest on 1 May 1931. He died in Saint Antonious Qazhaya Monastery in 1983.

• Fr. Gerges Kaser (Descendant of the Habkouk Family)

Born in Bane, his baptismal name is Abbas. He is the eldest son of Rashid Kaser Michael and Norma Tadross.

• Fr. Anthony Khoudair

Born in Australia, his baptismal name is Anthony. He is the eldest son of Fred and Emily Khoudair.

• 
  St George Maronite Catholic Church, Yarrara Road

A common church for the Australian citizen families of Bane is the St George Maronite Catholic Church in Thornleigh, NSW, Australia.

• Bane, Localiban