In 1929, a secret summit in the mountain town of Bikfaya brought together Maronite patriarchate figures and Druze chieftains to negotiate a fragile understanding that would shape Lebanon's confessional system for decades. This episode unpacks the negotiations, the key players—including Patriarch Antoine-Pierre Arida and Druze emir Majid Arslan—and how their informal pact anticipated the 1943 National Pact. We explore the power of the Christian-Druze axis in Mount Lebanon, the role of French High Commissioner Henri Ponsot, and why this little-known meeting matters for understanding Lebanon's later civil conflicts. Along the way, we touch on the legacy of the 1860 massacres, the evolving role of the Maronite Patriarchate, and the quiet diplomacy that kept the country together—until it didn't.
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