The Bseiso Family Archive is the living memory of Mahrous Afandi Bseiso. During the first half of the twentieth century, Mr. Mahrous was a pillar of the Bi’r Al-Sab’ ( Bi’r Al-Sab’ was renamed to Beersheba in 1948; moving forward, we will refer Bi’r Al-Sab’ by its current colonel name, Beersheba) community and the archive is a living testimony of the industrializing philanthropist and social entrepreneur who he was. As attested in the archive, his achievements and endeavors display his aspirations and vision for Beersheba throughout the first half of the last century. The heirloom documents the socio-political changes that Beersheba witnessed. This brief introduction highlights this archive's personal and historical lineage currently in Mr. Adel Bseiso's trusted possession.
Mr. Mahrous is from the renowned Bseiso family, a branch of the Kayali family; the Kayali family is very well known throughout the Middle East. This noble family is rooted in Palestine, and its history transcends their land's political epochs. The family’s verifiably well-documented lineage places Mr. Mahrous and his grandson, Mr. Adel Bseiso, within the noble Hashemite ancestry through the Prophet Mohammad’s daughter. The project details this lineage as it reinstates this archive within history. For over a millennium, the Kayali family produced countless prominent scholars, scientists, artists, poets, and businesspeople in the larger Levant and Palestine; one of whom was a famous businessman and philanthropist Mr. Mahrous's great grandfather Alhaj Ahmed Bseiso Al Kayali was the first to have the Bseiso last name, whose care and kindness extended not only to the people of Palestine but also to stray cats he sheltered in his mills. Alhaj Ahmed Bseiso Al Kayali was colloquially designated as the "carer of cats" or "Abu Besseh/Bseiseh" ("cat" in Arabic), a designation which his descendants adopted as the particular family branch name: "Bseiso" Mr. Mahrous carried and passed on this long and ingrained family tradition of leadership and ethical entrepreneurship. The archive that is before us now is a testament to all of this rich history and more.
The family archive is a treasure trove of information that can be approached from various angles and directions. The set of documents restores Mr. Mahrous’s status within the often-overlooked historical reality of Southern Palestine as a leading businessman whose work turned the barren desert in and around Beersheba into gardens and farms early in the twentieth century. Mr. Mahrous introduced wells, farms, and cutting-edge irrigation machinery into Beersheba, where he owned vast acreage (known as Duams in Arabic) and estates in the city center and its suburbs. In addition, the family archive bears witness to the socio-political development of Beersheba and Palestine. Some documents indicate the changing political climate from the Ottomans to the British and the subsequent Jordanian and Israeli control and governance.
Moreover, the documents and land deeds are almost always signed by a selection of historically relevant people from the Beersheba area. Those people have served as intermediaries between Mr. Mahrous and the public of Beersheba. Their testimonial signatures reflect the socio-economic power position of Mr. Mahrous vis-à-vis the signatories and the Beersheba public. Prominent are Sheikhs of large tribes of the Negev desert and various other businesspeople from the Beersheba region. Mr. Mahrous and his family remained in Beersheba until he was forced out of his estate by Israeli forces in 1948, leaving everything he owned behind ( Bi’r Al-Sab’ was renamed to Beershaba in 1948).
This is merely an introduction to how this family archive can be approached. Many history, politics, and linguistics students could benefit from this archive, now being presented to the world in an astonishing state of preservation. This archive is in the possession of Mr. Mahrous’s grandson, Mr. Adel, and within its folds, the memory of Mr. Mahrous and this deeply rooted Palestinian family history is maintained. Mr. Adel continues his grandfather’s and family's tradition of leadership and humanitarianism in presenting this archive to the world. Mr. Adel has spared no expense in preserving and presenting this archive with the collaboration of world-class specialists. Mr. Adel has taken exceptional care of this priceless part of history, not because it is his story but because it is now our story that these documents tell.