Where Maronite church book copyists lived in the XVIth century

Patriarch Duwayhi’s list of Maronite copyists of church books from Mount Lebanon (and Cyprus) in the sixteenth century — “al-nussakh fi hadha al-jabal” is interesting because it doubles as a (partial) list of Maronite centers of population during this time. It provides a good indication of the area of Maronite territorial extension in the sixteenth century, as well as of centers of Maronite religious literacy.

Here is the list of fourty seven villages the copyists hailed from:

Ihdin (Jibbat Bsharray)

Ijbi’ (Jibbat Bsharray)

Adnit

Ilij (Bilad al-Batrun)

Aytu (Jibbat Bsharray)

Bouar (al-Futuh)

Ban (Jibbat Bsharray)

Bsharray (Jiabbat Bsharray)

Bijjeh (Bilad Jubayl)

Bqufa (Jibbat Bsharray)

Bytumini (Cyprus)

Jaj (Bilad Jubayl)

Bish’alah (Bilad al-Batrun)

Hastiriya

Haqil (Bilad Jubayl)

Hadshit (Jibbat Bsharray)

Hawqa (Jibbat Bsharray)

Hardin (Bilad al-Batrun)

Hadath (Jibbat Bsharray)

Hasrun (Jibbat Bsharray)

Yammunah (Bilad Ba’albak)

Khurmajiti  (Kurmajit, Kormakitis — Cyprus)

Khilyini (Cyprus)

Khayzafaneh (Cyprus)

Kfarbandi

Kfur (Kfur al-Arabi, Bilad al-Batrun or Kfur in al-Futuh)

Kfarkida

Lihfid (Bilad Jubayl)

Mattushi (Cyprus)

Maad (Bilad Jubayl)

Matrit (Jibbat Bsharray)

Qaryat al-Nawus (al-Kura)

Samata (Asomatos, Cyprus)

Sahil ‘Alma (Kisrawan)

Smar Jubayl (Bilad al-Batrun)

Aqura (Jibbat al-Munaytra)

‘Ajaltun (Kisrawan)

Flodi (Cyprus)

Qnat (Jibbat Bsharray)

Qarbisia (Cyprus)

Quzhaya (Jibbat Bsharray)

Ram (Bilad Jubayl)

Shabtin (Bilad al-Batrun)

Tula (Jibbat Bsharray)

Tuhum (Bilad al-Batrun)

Tannurin (Bilad al-Batrun)

Tartij (Bilad Jubayl)