author
Abraham Mitrie Rihbany
1869–1944
An immigrant writer, preacher, and scholar who brought Middle Eastern life and language closer to English-speaking readers. His books blend autobiography, cultural observation, and religious interpretation in a way that still feels vivid and personal.
1 Audiobook
The Syrian Christ
by Abraham Mitrie Rihbany
About the author
Born in Freike, Lebanon, in 1869, Abraham Mitrie Rihbany later built his career in the United States as a theologian, philologist, historian, and preacher. He is often remembered as a Lebanese American voice who helped American readers understand the culture, speech, and everyday life of the Arab world.
Rihbany wrote across several genres, including autobiography, religious writing, and cultural commentary. His best-known works include A Far Journey, which draws on his own life, and The Syrian Christ, a book that explains the Bible through the customs and language of the Near East. He also contributed essays to magazines such as The Atlantic, where he wrote for a general audience as well as for readers interested in religion and the Middle East.
He died in 1944, but his work remains notable for its effort to build understanding across cultures. For readers coming to him today, his writing offers both a personal story of migration and an interpretive bridge between worlds.