Maximos Hakim was born in Aleppo circa 1689[1] and entered in the religious order of the Basilian Chouerites, of which he became general superior on 29 November 1729.
Due to this situation he had to live for long times in the safe motherhouse of his order in Lebanon.
[4] In 1759 patriarch Cyril VI Tanas appointed as successor his nephew Athanasius Jawhar and died shortly later in January 1760.
Rome, unaware that appointing a nephew was a common use in the Melkite Church before the union with Rome, did not confirm Athanasius' election and on 1 August 1760[5] appointed Maximos Hakim as Patriarch.
The Apostolic Legate Dominique Lanza arrived in Lebanon to carry the news only in June 1761, and on 23 July 1761 he summoned a synod of the Melkite bishops to formalize the election of Maximos II Hakim, who was already ill. Maximos II Hakim died shortly later on 15 November 1761.