Asad Rustam: Historian Lebanese great impact, is the pioneer of documentation in the Levant, and the most prominent of put scientific methodology in the writing of history in Arabic without being subject to prior biases, as it first earned the title of «Doctor of history» in the Arab world from the University of Chicago .
“Asad Gabriel Rustam Mojaes” was born in the village of Shwer in Lebanon in 1896 AD, he studied at the English School in the same village, then joined the Oriental College in Zahle in the Lebanese Bekaa Governorate, where you attended the High School in Shuwayn in 1919. In 1916, Assad Rostom joined the American University of Beirut, to obtain a bachelor's degree in the field of history in which he completed his studies until he was awarded the title of Professor in History in 1919 AD, and for his genius he was granted a mission to study the ancient history of the United States of Chicago, Chicago Beirut again, after obtaining a doctorate in the same field, to teach history at the Faculty of Arts at the American University. After spending twenty years teaching history, he left the university to work as an advisor at the American Embassy in Beirut, and then as an advisor to the Lebanese Army Command. He specialized in writing on the history of the ancient East, and published two volumes under the name “The Romans in Their Politics, Civilization, Religion, Culture and Relationships with the Arabs” in 1955 AD.
He also authored a detailed book in three parts on the history of the Eastern Church to which the Greek Orthodox belongs, under the name “The History of the Church of the Great City of Antioch”, published in 1958 AD, after which he was honored with the title of “History of the Antakya” 6, then the President of the Republic honored him in the year 19.
Asad Rustam has proven that he differs from his generation of historians, and even from previous generations, with his scientific method, which he followed in writing history without merging the whims of searching for information, and in an intrusive way. He was awarded the Egyptian Medal of Knowledge and the Syrian Medal of Merit.
In 1965, Asad Rostom passed away, leaving behind a rare historical library and a style of history to be emulated. After his death, he was awarded the Golden Lebanese Order of Merit.
كنيسة مدينة الله أنطاكية العظمى (الجزء الأول): ٣٤–٦٣٤م pdf by Assad Rostam
«وكنيستنا الأنطاكية يونانيةٌ سريانية عربية؛ فقد كانت يونانية برجالها في المدن، وبفكرها ولغتها وطقوسها، وكانت سريانية وعربية بشعبها في القرى والأرياف.»
تتفاخر كنيسة أنطاكيا بأنها أول كنيسة أُممية، وعلى أرضها عُرف المؤمنون باسم المسيحيين، وهي ثالث كنيسة من حيث الأهمية في الإمبراطورية الرومانية بعد كنيستَي روما والإسكندرية. كان أساقِفة أنطاكيا هم صُنَّاع التاريخ خلال الفترة الباكرة من تاريخ المسيحية؛ إذ عانى مؤمنوها من الاضطهادات الكبرى التي استمرت حتى عهد «دقلديانوس»، وصِيغ على أرضها أولُ قانون إيماني عرفه المسيحيون؛ «قانون الإيمان الأنطاكي». وظل التاريخ يختبر أنطاكيا وبطاركتها، فظلت صامدةً منذ الفتح الإسلامي حتى الانشقاق العظيم عام ١٠٥٤م والحروب الصليبية. غير أنها وإنْ سَلِمتْ من السيوف فلم تَسلَم من الوَحدة التي أُعلِنت عقبَ مجمعِ فلورنسا، فسارعت أنطاكيا إلى الخلاص منها وإعلان رفضها لها. حتى جاء الحدث المُدوِّي بسقوط القسطنطينية عام ١٤٥٣م وارتفاع رايات السلطان «محمد الثاني» عليها. وتتابَع التاريخ على أنطاكيا بعد ذلك من سيادةٍ عثمانية إلى صراعاتٍ دولية حديثة، حتى وقعت تحت الحماية الفرنسية.