The Biblical Federation of the Middle East held its Sixteenth Biblical Conference from January 27 to 31, 2019 about the Book of Ezekiel and with the motto: “A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you (Ez 36:26).” The last day of the conference was held in Balamand.
Participants have been first welcomed at the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology where Rev. Fr. Dr. Dean Porphyrios Georgi relayed the blessings and love of His Beatitude, Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and gave an opening speech. Then a panel session with two lectures took place, one about the Parables in Ezekiel 17 and their reception in the Synoptic Gospels by Dr. Daniel Ayuch and another on the Old and the New Temple in Ezekiel 40-48 by Fr. Dr. Michel Sakr. Later a keynote lecture was given by Professor Jesús María Asurmendi with the title “Ez 47:1-12. A Closing Point and an Opening.” The topic and date of the next Biblical conference were officially announced in the closing ceremony by Fr. Pierre Najm, President of NDU Loueizy and Coordinator of the Middle East Biblical Federation in the presence of Fr. Jan Stefanów, General Secretary of the Catholic Biblical Federation. Next time participants and scholars shall meet to work on and study the Gospel according to Saint Luke from January 24 to 29, 2021. The attendance came from several countries in the region and after the sessions, they visited the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand.
