FOREWORD

For about nine hundred years, a unique national-religious A group that identifies as both a distinct ethnic nation and a specific religious community. body has lived in Syria. The Druzes An Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group originating in the Near East who self-identify as "The People of Monotheism" (al-Muwaḥḥidūn). have long fascinated scholars and served as political opponents to those who ruled the lands where they lived. Scholars have proposed all sorts of theories to explain their unique beliefs original: tenets and customs. Their rulers original: over-lords have tried every possible means to suppress them. However, the scholars have been just as unsuccessful as the rulers; the Druzes remain the great mystery of the Lebanon Mountains.

In the following study, a more serious attempt is made to solve the riddle of who the Druzes are, why they exist, and where they live. Professor Hitti is probably better qualified to make this attempt than any other scholar. Born in the Lebanon Mountains, Arabic is his native language. As a boy and as a young man, he spent time with the Druzes. He has had, and continues to have, access to their literature. It is likely that he knows more about them than they know about themselves. For this reason, I highly recommend the following pages to everyone concerned with Syria and those interested in the history of religion.