▁born ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 3 ▁in ▁Has r oun , ▁Leb anon . ▁From ▁ 1 6 9 6 ▁to ▁ 1 7 0 7 ▁he ▁studied ▁in ▁Rome ▁and ▁at ▁his ▁return ▁in ▁Leb anon , ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 7 0 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁ord ained ▁as ▁a ▁priest ▁by ▁his ▁uncle ▁Jacob ▁A wad , ▁Mar on ite ▁Patri arch ▁of ▁Ant io ch , ▁who ▁re igned ▁from ▁ 1 7 0 5 ▁to ▁ 1 7 3 3 , ▁and ▁whom ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁secretary . ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 7 1 6 ▁he ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁bishop ▁of ▁Dam asc us , ▁always ▁by ▁his ▁uncle . ▁Simon ▁A wad ▁played ▁a ▁leading ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 3 6 ▁Mar on ite ▁Syn od ▁of ▁Mount - L eb anon . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Patri arch ▁Joseph ▁Kh az en , ▁who ▁died ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 7 4 2 , ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁who ▁attended ▁the ▁fun eral ▁met ▁and ▁elected ▁Simon ▁A wad ▁as ▁Patri arch , ▁but ▁Simon ▁refused ▁out ▁of ▁hum ility . ▁So ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁elected ▁the ▁bishop ▁of ▁Ar ka , ▁E lias ▁Moh asse b . ▁B ish ops ▁Tob ias ▁El ▁Kh az en ▁and ▁Ign ace ▁Ch rab ai ▁were ▁absent ▁from ▁the ▁meeting , ▁perhaps ▁not ▁invited , ▁and ▁opposed ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁E