Truth Saturates the Village of Many Waters
HOW strange! A land famous for its many waters is found to be thirsty! A well-watered region is found to be dry and exhausted! It is a thirst that can only be quenched with the waters of truth from God’s Word, the Bible. It is the story of Rahbeh, a small village of 2,200 inhabitants, nestled in the mountains in northern Lebanon, about 80 miles [130 km] from Beirut.
The name Rahbeh means “a roomy place” in Arabic, and it comes from a Semitic root meaning “extensive, spread out.” Appropriately, the village is spread out over two large hills some 2,000 feet [600 m] above sea level. During winter and spring, snow can be seen high on the mountains to the east, adding a touch of splendor. But, above all, Rahbeh is a village of many waters. There are 360 springs, large and small, in the area, providing precious water for the fertile fields of wheat, apricots, pears, peaches, and grapes in the surrounding valleys.
Past and Present Meet in Rahbeh
In many respects things in Rahbeh have remained much the same since Bible times. Houses in the village are packed tightly together. The streets are narrow, winding, and teeming with traffic—asses and cows. Though there are some motor vehicles, the animals have the right-of-way here. Very often their owners load them with goods in the field and send them home by themselves. They follow the narrow streets, working their way in and out of tight spots, and get back to their home. Could this be similar to what Isaiah had in mind when he said: “A bull well knows its buyer, and the ass the manger of its owner”?—Isaiah 1:3.
Rahbeh is also a place of contrasts. Here you will find university graduates as well as simple peasants who have never been to a city. There are villas surrounded with gardens, and there are small huts with livestock running about. Electric appliances are found in almost every home, but electricity is not always available. Because of this, many homes have generators. The main streets of the village are paved, although most paths leading to the fields are unpaved and rugged. Thus, the only way to transport the produce from the fields is by domestic animals. You may even see an ass carrying an electric generator to the field to power the farm machines, which are used right alongside draft animals in the fields.
Similarly, life in the village has not changed very much. If you stay in the village overnight, you may be awakened by cocks crowing at two or three in the morning. The daily routine begins early, so do not be surprised if you hear the noise of people shouting to one another in the dark while getting the animals ready. At the crack of dawn, you can see many villagers, with their animals loaded, heading for the fields or to the markets to sell their wares.
As the day moves on, little boys and girls come out to play in the streets and public places. Their cries and laughter fill the air, much the way it was in ancient Jerusalem as described by the prophet Zechariah: “The public squares of the city themselves will be filled with boys and girls playing in her public squares.” (Zechariah 8:5) You will also find the villagers most friendly and inquisitive. You are expected to greet every villager you meet, as they want to know who you are, where you are from, why you are there, and where you are going. People get to know one another very well.
Waters of Truth Reach Rahbeh
In such a close-knit community, news gets around quickly. This was what happened when Asaad Younis returned to Rahbeh from the United States in 1923. Wondering if Asaad had become rich in America, his friend Abdallah Blal went to see him. Instead of talking about money, Asaad gave him a copy of the book The Harp of God and told him: “Here is true riches.” Abdallah, a former Protestant, read this Bible-based publication and was deeply impressed. Although Asaad did not do much about the information, Abdallah was excited about what he had learned and openly confessed that he had found the truth.
Some time later, Abdallah moved to Tripoli, the major city in northern Lebanon. There, he was able to get in touch with several Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were known at that time, and he made further progress in his Bible studies. He later moved back to Rahbeh to spread the good news he had learned. He would engage fellow villagers in discussions on such subjects as the Trinity, whether man has an immortal soul, hellfire, the priesthood, Mass, and the use of images, sharing with them what the Bible actually teaches.
Some of the villagers showed interest. Three or four of them joined Abdallah in the preaching work. Then they started to hold Sunday meetings. These consisted of listening to a recorded sermon from a phonograph or a reading from the Bible, followed by a discussion of what they had just heard. Later, some Bible study aids were used, including the books The Harp of God, Riches, and “Let God Be True.” The attendance did not exceed ten persons, most of whom were more curious than interested. Some seemed to come mainly for the meal served at the end of each meeting.
In the 1940’s, Abdallah Blal was given the responsibility of looking after the group in Rahbeh. He proved to be a zealous and loyal servant of Jehovah, setting a fine example for the others. One of these, Brother Mattar, recalls how they went about their preaching work: “Since cars were not available in those days, Brother Blal and I went on foot to witness in nearby villages. I carried the phonograph, while Brother Blal took the lead in speaking. We usually went for two or three days before coming back home.” Brother Blal served Jehovah faithfully till his death in 1979 at the age of 98.
Progress Brings Opposition
As the work progressed, the brothers began to experience opposition. In 1950, at the instigation of the village priest, a campaign of persecution was started against the brothers in Rahbeh. The priest accused the brothers of profaning the church and of sacrilege. Some villagers became so incensed that they stoned the brothers, and some brothers were arrested and jailed. However, subsequent investigation proved the accusations false. Even so, the brothers were kept in prison for several days.
Another opposer tried to get the villagers, some of whom may not have been able to read well, to sign a paper accusing the brothers of many things, including disturbing the people by insistently calling at their homes. To get more people to sign the paper, he told them that it was a request for a certain worker to be transferred back to the village. When the people found out that it actually was a charge against the Witnesses, they blotted out their signatures. Incidents such as this helped in giving a good witness to many officials in the area.
Aside from dealing with such outright opposition, the brothers faced another obstacle. In a small village where everyone knows everyone else, “trembling at men is what lays a snare,” as the Bible points out at Proverbs 29:25. It takes courage for the brothers to preach to neighbors, friends, and relatives, who constantly criticize and mock them. Real meaning is thus given to Jesus’ words at Matthew 10:36: “A man’s enemies will be persons of his own household.” Yet, as the proverb goes on to say, “he that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected.” The faith and endurance of the brothers have produced outstanding results.
Truth Saturates Rahbeh
Over the years the villagers have come to appreciate the fine conduct of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many have accepted the truth. The brothers were overjoyed in 1969 when a second congregation was formed in Rahbeh. They continued to work very hard. Many took up the full-time ministry, some even moving to serve in other territories, including the city of Beirut. Jehovah blessed their hard work, and a third congregation was established in Rahbeh in 1983. Meanwhile, more brothers emigrated or moved to live in the cities. Still, the growth continued, and a fourth congregation was formed in Rahbeh in 1989, followed by a fifth in 1990.
By this time almost every family in the village had a relative or a friend who was a Witness. The hostility that once existed had died down. People became better acquainted with the Witnesses. In fact, the expressions “elder,” “pioneer,” “circuit overseer,” “assembly,” and “Armageddon” became a part of the villagers’ vocabulary. On special occasions, such as the visit of the circuit overseer or the Memorial, the streets would be empty and the Kingdom Halls packed. Some congregations even put loudspeakers on the balcony for the convenience of the neighbors.
There are now over 250 Kingdom publishers in Rahbeh. That means that there is 1 Witness for about 8 persons in the village! One congregation of 51 publishers has a territory of 76 houses, and they cover it every week. Imagine what happened during the months of March and April last year when 98 of the 250 publishers took up the auxiliary pioneer work, along with the 13 regular pioneers in Rahbeh. The territory was covered many times each week. It was not unusual for one house to be called on by two or three pairs of publishers on the same day or even at the same time. Most of the villagers have become accustomed to the visits. But when a man complained, a publisher replied: “When you accept our offer to have a Bible study, then you will be called on only once a week.” They also talk to everyone they meet in the fields—people plowing, sowing, watering, or riding on an ass.
For a fact, Bible truth has saturated Rahbeh, the village of many waters. That is not all. Just as Rahbeh has been the source of fresh water for many surrounding villages, it has also supplied them with life-giving waters of Bible truth. Publishers from Rahbeh visit people in nearby villages on foot and organize car groups and make day trips to preach in villages farther away. Some publishers move to serve in other cities. With Jehovah’s blessing, there will be further increase that will render still more praise to the heavenly Father, Jehovah God.
[Picture on page 26]
A street scene in Rahbeh