Saliba

The Saliba family (also spelled Saleeby, or Salibi) is a large, predominantly Christian family in Lebanon and Malta. The family name is derived from "Saleeb", the Arabic word for cross, a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. [ [http://www.saleeby-saliba.org/Default.htm Saleeby-Saliba Association of Families] . Retrieved July 9, 2007.]

History

The family traces its paternal lineage back to Sparta, Greece prior to the Common Era, and details the emigration route from Sparta to what is modern day Lebanon.N.D. Saleeby (1947). [http://www.saleeby-saliba.org/history.htm Saliba Family History] . Retrieved July 10, 2007.] The family tree branched into several different cities and towns in Lebanon, including Byblos, Bteghrine, Nabatieh, and Souk El Gharb. Starting in the late 19th century, large numbers of the family emigrated to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Europe.

Notable members

*George Saliba – Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science of the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University
*Joe Saliba – General Secretary of the Nationalist Party in Malta
*Kamal Salibi – Director of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies and Emeritus Professor at the Department of History and Archaeology at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon
*Marianne Frances Saliba (by marriage) – Australian politician and Member of Parliament
*Naseeb Saliba – Co-founder of the Tutor-Saliba Corporation, one of the largest civil construction companies in the United States
*Philip Saliba – Antiochian Orthodox Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of North America

References

External links

* [http://www.saleeby-saliba.org/Default.htm Saleeby-Saliba Association of Families]
* [http://www.searchmalta.com/surnames/saliba/index.shtml "History of Saliba"]