William McClure Thomson

William McClure Thomson (31 December 1806 – 8 April 1894) was an American Protestant missionary who worked in Ottoman Syria. After spending 25 years in Syria, he published a bestselling book - The Land and the Book - that described his experiences and observations during his travels. He used his knowledge of the region to illustrate and explain passages from the Bible, giving readers a new perspective on the scriptures.

Career Thomson was the son of a Presbyterian minister. He was a graduate of Miami University, Ohio.

When he arrived in Beirut on February 24, 1833, he was only the eighth American Protestant missionary to arrive in the region. Two of his predecessors had died, and two had been recalled. In April 1834, Thomson was in Jaffa when a revolt broke out, and he was unable to return to Jerusalem until Ibrahim Pasha recaptured the city with 12,000 troops. While he was away, his wife had given birth to a son, but she died just 12 days after he returned.

He remained in Sidon until 1857, when he returned to America for two years.

His magnum opus, The Land and the Book, was first published in 1859, and became one of the bestselling Travelogues of Palestine.

In 1860 full scale civil war broke out in Lebanon. The conflict lasted 60 days and spread to Damascus. Thomson supervised the distribution of £30,000 of money, food and clothing amongst the thousands of destitute refugees. At a Beirut Mission Meeting on 23 January 1862, he proposed the establishment of a college with Daniel Bliss as its president. The Syrian Protestant College was established in 1866 with 16 students. This college evolved into the American University of Beirut. Theophilus Waldmeier's autobiography states that it was on Thomson's advice, in 1873, that Waldmeier established Brummana High School.

Family

By 1834 he was married, and he and wife were living in Jerusalem; she gave birth to their son, but died a few days later.