(1907 -2006)

Professor of history and author of many books on the Near East throughout history, Ziade was born on December 2. 1907 in Damascus to parents who were both Palestinian. He completed his schooling the Teacher"s College in Jerusalem in 1924, and taught at the village school in Tersheha, Acre province, Palestine and the Acre Secondary School.

He stayed in the teaching profession until 1991:

From 1939-1947 he was a professor at the Arab College in Jerusalem, then at the American University of Beirut 1949-1973, as well a at St Joseph University , the Lebanese University in Beirut and Jordan University in Amman. Between 1973-1991 he taught at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut.

He received his Doctorate in History from London University in 1950, and wrote his thesis on "Syria during the First Mamluk Period". His early papers were published in Syrian newspapers and journals. His first book, published in 1943 was titled "Pioneers of the Arab World in the Middle Ages".

He has written 40 books in Arabic and 6 books in English. He knew Greek, Latin, German and English as well as Arabic.

Ziade died in Beirut on 28 July 2006.