Egypt
is
the
cradle
of
human
civilization:
a
fact
hardly
contested
among
authoritative
historians.
But
Egypt
also
enjoys
a
focal
geo-political
position,
connecting
Africa,
Asia,
and
Europe
through
the
Mediterranean
Sea.
On
its
land,
migrations
of
people,
traditions,
philosophies
and
religious
beliefs
succeeded
each
other
for
thousands
of
years.
Evidence
of
this
succeeded
each
other
for
thousands
of
years.
Evidence
of
this
succession
is
still
visible
in
the
accumulation
of
monuments
and
sites
attesting
to
a
uniquely
comprehensive
cultural
heritage.
Indeed,
one
of
the
phenomena
which
shaded
Egypt's
distinctive
identity,
and
explains
its
pervasive
influence
on
the
then
known
world,
was
a
dynamism
that
accommodated
and
re-formulated
these
successive
cultures
into
one
homogenous
and
harmonious
Egyptian
canvas.
Egypt
is
one
civilization
woven
of
many
strands,
threaded
by
successive
and
intertwining
eras;
and
of
these,
the
most
luminous
are,
without
doubt,
the
Pharaonic,
the
Graeco-Roman,
the
Coptic
Christian,
and
the
Islamic
eras.
Because the Egyptian people are the essential product of this "harmony in diversity", "otherness" has become an integral component of their awareness, a basic constituent of their national and cultural identity. This characteristic has yielded one important result: Egypt was and still is, the land of refuge in the widest sense of the word, a place of tolerance and dialogue for peoples, races, cultures and religions. The
advent
of
the
Holy
Family
to
Egypt,
seeking
refuge,
is
an
event
of
the
utmost
significance
in
our
dear
country's
long,
long
history. In
the
Biblical
Book
of
Isaiah,
the
prophet
provides
us
which
a
divinely
inspired
prediction
of
the
effect
the
holy
Infant
was
to
have
on
Egypt
and
the
Egyptians: But
the
prophecy,
knitting
a
perfect
pattern
of
things
to
come,
does
not
stop
there.
it
continues,
"Then
the
Lord
will
be
known
to
Egypt,
and
the
Egyptians
will
known
the
Lord
in
that
day
and
will
make
sacrifice
and
offering"
(Isaiah
19:20).
As
Christianity
in
Egypt
spread,
churches
were
built
throughout
the
length
and
breadth
of
the
land,
and
the
sites
chosen
were,
primarily,
those
which,
had
been
visited
and
blessed
by
the
Holy
Family's
sojourns.
The
New
Testament
records
the
fulfillment
of
the
Old
Testament
prophecies
as
they
unfold
in
their
historical
sequence. Joseph complied. A donkey was fetched for the gentle Mother, still so young in years, to ride with her new-born Child in Her arms. And so they set out from Bethlehem on their predestined journey, the hardened old carpenter, who was Mary's betrothed, striding ahead, leading the donkey by its leash into the untracked paths of a wilderness dark as the desert nights, and unending as the months of never ending horizons. Such an arduous journey it was fraught with hazard every step of the way. In those far-off days, there were three routes which could be followed by travellers traversing Sinai from Palestine to Egypt, a crossing which was usually undertaken in groups, for without protection caravans, the ever-present dangers-even along these known and trodden paths-were ominously forbidding. But, in their escape from infanticidal fury of King Herod, the Holy Family-understandably-had to avoid the beaten tracks altogether, and to pursue unknown paths, guided by God and His Angel. They picked their way, day after day, through hidden valleys and across uncharted plateaus in the (then) rugged wastelands of Sinai, enduring the scorching heat of the sun by day and the bitter cold of the desert nights, preserved from the threat of wild beasts and savage tribesmen, their daily sustenance miraculously provided, the all-too-human fears of the young Mother for her Infant allayed by faith that infused her with His birth. And so they arrived, at last safely, for God had pre-ordained that Egypt should be the refuge for the One who was to bring the message of peace and love to mankind. The tortuous trails they followed in their passage across Sinai, and their subsequent travels within Egypt, are chronicled by Pope Theophilus, 23rd Patriarch of Alexandria (384-412 AD). He testifies, in his celebrated annals that on the eve of the 6th of Hathor (the Coptic month corresponding roughly with November), after long prayer, the Holy Virgin revealed herself to him and, after relating to him and, after relating the details of the Holy Family's journey to, in, and from Egypt, bade him record what he had seen and heard. It
is
a
source
which
no
Christian
believer
would
question. Tel Basta or Basta - which they now enter, is a short distance from Zagazig, the main town in the Sharqiah Governorate about 100 kms north-east of Cairo. Here, Jesus caused a water spring to well up from the ground, and his presence caused the idols to crumble, as foretold by the prophets of old. The townsfolk, in consequence, turned malevolent and aggressive, whereupon the Holy Family turned their backs on the town and headed southwards. In due course, they reached Mostorod (which came to be called, in those days, 'Al-Mahamma') only about 10 kms away from Cairo. 'Al-Mahamma' means 'the Bathing Place', a name given to the town because the Virgin Mary bathed the Christ Child and washed his clothes. It is worthy of note that, eventually, on their way back to Palestine, the Holy Family stopped once more at Mostorod and, this time, caused a spring to gush from the earth which still flows forth to the present day. The
Holy
Family
At
the
Town
of
Belbeis The
Holy
Family
At
Meniet
Samannoud The Coptic name of the town, 'Pekha - Issous', (vernacularized to Lysous) means, 'the foot of Jesus'; for the Holy Child's foot-print was marked, here, in bas-relief on a rock. The rock was preserved, but hidden for centuries for fear of robbery, and only unearthed again 13 years ago. The Holy Family At Wadi El Natroun Their trail from Sakha, is recorded in the documentation of Pope Theophilus's vision, and attested to by Coptic practice in the Christian era. For it was to Wadi el-Natroun (Natroun Valley) that they now came, after crossing the Rosetta branch of the Nile to the western Delta, and heading south into Wadi el-Natroun (then called Al Asqeet) in the Western Desert of Egypt. In the earliest decades of Christianity, the desert expanses of Wadi el-Natroun became the site of anchoretic settlement and. later, of many monasteries, in spiritual commemoration of the Holy Family's passage through the Valley. The Holy Family At Matareya & Ain Shams Eventually, they left the desert behind them and made their way southwards, crossing the Nile to its eastern bank, and heading for Matariyah and Ain Shams (ancient Heliopolis, the site of the oldest 'university' in history called since earliest Pharaonic times, 'On'). Both these adjacent districts are outlying suburbs of present-day Cairo, only 10 km or so from the city centre. The Holy Family At Zeitoun At
the
time
of
the
Holy
Family's
arrival
there,
Ain
Shams
was
home
to
a
large
Jewish
community,
who
had
erected
a
temple
-
the
Synagogue
of
Unias,
-
for
their
worship.
In
MAtariyah,
a
tree
still
stands
to
this
day,
still
regularly
visited,
called
'Mary's
Tree',
for
the
Family
is
believed
to
have
rested
in
its
shade.
Here,
too,
the
Infant
Jesus
caused
water
to
flow
from
a
spring,
from
which
the
Virgin
washed
His
clothes.
She
poured
the
washing
water
on
the
ground,
and
from
that
spot,
the
fragrant
balsam
plant
blossomed:
besides
the
healing
and
pain-soothing
properties
of
this
Balm,
its
essence
is
used
in
the
preparation
of
the
preparation
of
the
scents
and
perfumes
of
which
the
holy
Chrism
is
composed. The Holy Family Within the Area of the Old Cairo In
Central
Cairo The Holy Family withing the Area of Mid-Cairo In
the
down-town
district
of
Clot
Bey: The Holy Family Within the Area of Old Cairo The area now called Old Cairo, known as Misr El Kadima, is among the most important locations visited by the Holy Family where the spiritual impact of their presence is most felt still; though their stay was brief, for the Governor of what was then Fustat - enraged by the tumbling down of idols at Jesus' approach - sought to kill the Child. But they took shelter from his wrath is a cave above which, in wrath in a cave above which, in later years, the Church of Abu Serga (St Sergius) was built. This, and the whole area of the Fort of Babylon, is a destination of pilgrimage not only for the Egyptians but for Christians from around the world around the world. An air of piety and devotion pervades the whole district. Here,
too,
it
is
useful
to
list
the
sites
which
visitors
to
the
sites
which
visitors
to
the
Fortress
of
Babylon
section
of
Old
Cairo
take
in: The
Fustat
section
of
Old
Cairo,
which
lies
west
of
the
Mosque
of
Amr
Ibn'l
Aas,
includes: The Holy Family At Maady After
their
short,
but
all-too
felt,
stay
in
Old
Cairo,
the
Holy
Family
moved
in
a
southerly
direction,
reaching
the
modern
Cairo
suburb
of
Maadi
which,
in
earliest
Pharaonic
times,
was
an
outlying
district
of
Memphis,
the
captical
of
Egypt
then,
and,
at
Maadi,
they
boarded
a
sailing-boat
which
carried
them
up
the
Nile
towards
southern
Egypt.
The
historic
church
built
upon
the
spot
from
which
they
embarked,
also
dedicated
to
the
Virgin,
is
further
identified
by
the
demoninative,
'Al-Adaweya',
the
Virgin's
Church
'of
the
Ferry'.
(In
fact,
the
name
of
that
now
modern
suburb,
Maadi,
derives
from
the
Arabic
word
which
means
'the
Crossing
Point'). An event of miraculous import occurred on Friday the 3rd of hte Coptic month of Baramhat - the 12th of March 1976 A.D. A Holy Bible of unknown provenance was carried by the lapping ripples of the Nile to bank below the Church. It was open to the page of Isaiah 19:25 the page declaring, "Blessed be Egypt My people". The Bible is now behind glass in the Sanctuary of the Virgin in the Church for all to see. The Holy Famil at Al Garnous Monastery - Maghagha The sail-boat docked at the village of Deir Al-Garnous (the later site of the Monastery of Arganos) 10 kms west of Ashnein el Nassara (a small village near the town of Maghagha). Outside the western wall of the Church of the Virgin there, a deep well is believed to have provided the Holy Family with the water they needed. The Holy Family At Al Bahnassa They went on from there to a spot later named Abai Issous, "the Home of Jesus", the site of present-day Sandafa village, east of Al Bahnassa which, itself, stands some 17 km west of the town of Beni Mazar. Gabal Al Tair - Samalout On
towards
the
south
they
went
from
Bahnassa
to
Samalout
and
crossed
the
Nile
again
from
that
town
to
the
spot
on
the
east
bank
of
the
River
where
the
Monastery
of
the
Virgin
now
stands
upon
Gabal
El-Tair
('Bird
Mountain')
east
of
Samalout,
2
Km
south
of
Meadeyat
Beni
Khaled.
It
is
known
by
this
name
(Gabal
El-Tair)
because
thousands
of
birds
gather
there.
The
Holy
Family
rested
in
the
cave
which
is
now
located
inside
the
ancient
church
there.
Gabal
El-Tair
is
also
called
Gabal
El-Kaf
('Palm
Mountain').
Coptic
tradition
maintains
that,
as
the
Holy
Family
rested
in
the
shade
of
the
Mountain,
Jesus
stretched
His
little
hand
to
hold
back
a
rock
which
was
about
to
detach
itself
from
the
mountain-side
and
fall
upon
them.
The
important
of
His
palm
is
still
visible. The Holy Family At Al Ashmounein Town - Malawy Once more crossing the Nile, back to its west bank, the Holy Family travelled southwards to the town of Al-Ashmounein or Hermolois Magna but it seems that they did not tarry long there. Leaving behind them the rubble of fallen idols, they continued still in a southerly direction, for another 20 km or so to Dairout Al-Sharif (which, like Al-Ashmounein, had an alternative Greek name: Philes); and thence to Qussqam (or Qost-Qoussia). Here, too, the recorded events testify that the townsfolk were infuriated when the stone statue of their local deity cracked and fell, and evicted the Holy Family from the town. A historically recorded incident dating to that period refers to the devastation of Qussqam, and Coptic tradition asserts that the ruin that befell the town was the consequence of its violent rejection of the gentle visitors. We have an entirely different story in the warm welcome with which the holy refugees were at their next stop at Meir (or Meira) only 7 km west of Qoussia. Here, they found only consideration and hospitality wherever they went, for which treatment the town and its people were signally blessed. The Holly Family At Mount Qussqam: Now
it
was
time
for
the
Holy
Family
to
set
out
for
what
is,
arguably,
the
most
meaningful
destination
of
all
in
the
land
of
Egypt,
the
place
where
there
would
be
"an
altar
to
the
Lord
in
the
midst
of
the
land
of
Egypt",
Gabal
(Mount)
Qussqam,
which
takes
its
name
from
the
town
nearby
that
was
laid
waste,
is
327
kms
south
of
Cairo,
and
stands
in
the
Governorate
of
Assiut.
The
Monastery
of
Al-Muharraq
nestles
against
the
western
foothills
of
the
Mountain.
It
was
built
around
the
area
where
the
Holy
Family
remained
just
over
six
months.
Their
time
was
spent
mainly
in
a
cave
which
became,
in
the
Coptic
era,
the
altar
of
the
Church
of
Virgin
Mary,
built
at
the
western
end
of
the
Monastery
compound,
The
altar
stone
was
the
resting
place
of
the
Child
Jesus
during
the
months
He
dwelt
there. The Return And
so
they
set
forth
on
the
return
journey.
The
route
they
took
deviated
slightly
from
the
one
by
which
they
had
come.
It
took
them
to
Mount
Dronka,
8
km
south-west
of
the
city
of
Assiut,
and
their
blessing
of
this
location
was
commemorated
in
the
Christian
era
by
the
building
of
the
mountain-top
Monastery
of
Dronka. Subsequent Biblical history says it all: at the end, they arrived home, Joseph's old house, in the small town of Nazareth, in Galilee, in the land of Palestine, from where the message of Christ would, in the fulness of time, be heard. The whole journey, from the initial flight from Bethlehem to the return to Nazareth lasted over three years. They had covered something like 2000 km their means of transport a weak beast of burden and the occasional sail-boat on the Nile. But for much of the way, the delicate Mother and the rugged old Carpenter must have trudged on foot, enduring the fierce summer heat and the biting winter's cold, suffering the pangs of hunger and the parching affliction of thirst... like hunted outlaws. It was a journey of indescribable agony and anguish which the Child Jesus, His Virgin Mother and the Sainted Joseph bore with inner joy, and survived, for the sake of mankind. The Holy Family's Journey in the Land of Egypt "Blessed
be
Egypt
my
people"
(ISAIAH
19:25) |
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