Joseph of Damascus was a 19th-century Orthodox priest and educator born in Beirut. After his ordination in 1817, he moved to Damascus, where he served as the director of the Patriarchal School from 1836 until his death. Under his guidance, this institution emerged as a premier center for higher Orthodox learning within the Middle East. He is remembered for his significant influence on the clergy of the region and his ultimate death during the 1860 Damascus massacre.