Biram

Village in Palestine in which Elias Chacour spent his early life. It was destroyed by the Zionists, but, many years later rebuilt by many of the original inhabitants.

Gish

A small village in Palestine, destroyed by the Zionists, to which the villagers of Biram fled when ousted from their village.

Irgun

A radical Zionist organization who conducted terrorist activities against the British and then the native Palestinians in the late 1940's.

Melkite Christianity

One of the original Christian groups who followed the teaching of Jesus literally and refused to change after the deaths of the Apostles brought fragmentation to Christianity.

kibbutz

A collective farming community in Israel. These were established by Jews as they emigrated to Palestine following World War II.

Beatitudes

Words of Jesus spoken in Galilee and the favorite New Testament passage of Elias' mother. They begin with, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for...