Ain Ebel

Infobox City Lebanon
State Party = LBN
official_name = Ain Ebel
native_name = عين إبل
governorate = Nabatieh Governorate
district = Bint Jbeil District
elevation_m_lo =750 |elevation_m_hi=850
mapx = 33.09
mapy = 35.40

Ain Ebel ( _ar. عين إبل) is a Lebanese village located in the Caza of Bint Jbeil in the Nabatiye Governorate in Lebanon.

Variation of Spelling

The name of the village is also splelled Ainebel Aïn Ebel,‘Ayn Ibil,‘Ain Ibil, Aïn Ibel, Ain Ibel, Ain Ebel, Ain Ibl, or`Ain Ibil.In arabic is عين ابل.

Origin of this name:

Ain = source of water in arabic language.Ebel = Camel in arabic language

Since many troops, nomads passed by this location to drink water and give to their camels they called it Ain Ebel

About Ain Ebel

Arousset el Jnoub, Ain-Ebel, is known for its beautiful scenery, amiable people, and jovial atmosphere.Situated in the heart of the South, Ain-Ebel occupies several hills with elevation ranging from 750 to 850 meters above sea level.

Each summer, a grand festival is organized in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The festival culminates on the Assumption of Mary on August 15. Outdoor events and open-air concerts are held in the village's square, and the festivities peak with a procession of the Virgin Mary icon.

Ain-Ebel is also known for its religious structures among which are the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, St Mary's Chapel, Our Lady of Ain Ebel Maronite Catholic ChurchSaint Elie Greek Catholic Melkite Church , and the New Saint Elie Greek Catholic Melkite Church.

"Whose heart doesn't beat the moment he sees the arch at the entrance of Ain-Ebel?? Who doesn't dream of spending the afternoon in the shades of its pine trees in the famous Snoubar?? or the endless nights spent on its streets singing and dancing till the break of dawn ??" Memories of a true AinEblee

History

Ain Ebel is a very old village, near Ain Ebel an archeologic sites known in the Bible as a part of DAN region, DAN is one of of Israeli Tribes, this site is Chalaaboun شلعبون, where Ernest Renan, a french philosopher sent by emperor Napoleon III to Lebanon, found interesting archeologic grave that must be similar to Jesus Christ grave ( see Mission de Phénicie (1865-1874) ).

Also Ain Ebel existed when the Crusaders came into our lands in the 11th century ( read " Salut Jerusalem " - Bechara Menassa ),there is a story about a frank monk who killed a lion in Ain Ebel.

Geography

Ain Ebel occupies several hills with elevation ranging from 750 to 850 meters above sea level. The village enjoys four seasons with autumn and spring being mild but rainy, winter being cold and snowy and summer being dry and very pleasant with average temperatures between 25-27°C (74-77°F). The people of Ain Ebel cultivate their land and produce olives, almonds, chestnuts, pecans, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and apples. There are three natural springs in Ain Ebel, including Tarabnine, Tahta and Alhuriyeh (Freedom Spring).

Demography

The people of Ain Ebel are Lebanese and are followers of the Catholic Church (Maronite and Greek Melkite) as well as a couple Armenian Catholic families. The village is made up of the Ajaka, Alam, Al-Akh, Abu Ghanam, Amouri, Atmé, Ghostine (also Lubbos and Lopez in Brazil), Barakat, Berberian, Chbat, Chehadé, Diab (Diap and Diep in Argentina), Dique (also spelled Deek), Farah, Haddad, Hasrouny, Jichy, Khreich (also spelled Khraish in the US and Canada and Kreis in Argentina), Lallous, Mattar, Sader (also known as Khoury), Sidaoui and other families.

chools

There are three schools in the village: two private schools (Saints-Cœurs and Saint Joseph) and one public school. There are four historic churches, built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that have been recently restored.

Religious Structures

Chapels
*Chapel of the Sacred Hearts
*Saint Mary's Chapel

Churches
*Our Lady of Ain Ebel Maronite Catholic Church
*Saint Elie Greek Catholic Melkite Church
*The New Saint Elie Greek Catholic Melkite Church

Convents
*Convent of the Sacred Hearts

Shrines
*Saint Charbel Shrine
*Our Lady of Lourdes Monument

Holidays

Each summer, a grand festival is organized in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The festival culminates on the Assumption of Mary on August 15. Outdoor events and open-air concerts are held in the village's square. The festivities peak with a procession of the Virgin Mary icon.

People from Ain Ebel

The most prominent figure from Ain Ebel is the late Cardinal Antoine Pierre Khreich (also known as Anthony Peter Khoraish) who was the second Lebanese Patriarch to become cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Another prominent figure from this village is Wafai Saleem Diab, a very famous journalist and speaker. He was the first Arab journalist ever to enter the White House, when he entered to interview President Ronald Reagan. He has interviewed many famous people such as Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, King Hussein of Jordan and many others. Unforunately, Mr.Diab passed away on December 16th 2006, an event which stunned all of Ain Ebel and many people around the world.

Current Events

In July 2006, Ain Ebel, like other villages that string Lebanon's southern border, such as Debel, Qaouzah, Rmaich, and Yaroun, was caught in the crossfire of Hezbollah and the Israeli army. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-08-20-lebanon-christian_x.htm USATODAY.com - Archbishop tells church to stay in Lebanon: 'You'll make it' ] ] Due to the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in South Lebanon, many houses in Ain Ebel were destroyed.

References

External links

*http://ain-ebel.org
*http://ainebel.net/
*http://ain-ebel.ca
*http://www.fallingrain.com/world/LE/2/Ayn_Ibil.html