Two virus isolates obrained from Phaseolus vulgaris in Lebanon were identified as potyviruses with close serological relationship to each other, to blackeye cowpea mosaic virus, to the NY 15 isolate of bean common mosaic virus (BCMV-NY 15) and to azuki bean mosaic virus (AzMV). Both isolates infected six plant species belonging to three families. The two isolates were differentiated from each other by their reaction on six IITA-TVu cowpea lines as well as on seven P. vulgaris cultivars. In double antibody sandwich ELISA both virus antigens strongly reacted with BlCMV, BCMV-NY 15 and AzMV antisera and weakly with antisera to cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CAMV), bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) and some isolates of BCMV. In reciprocal ELISA tests, antisera to our two virus isolates reacted strongly with BlCMV and BCMV-Ny 15. ISEM tests confirmed the ELISA results, giving strong reactions when both isolates were tested with antisera to BlCMV, BCMV-NY 15 and AzMV.