On the trail of the Holy Family in Egypt

An historic account of cities and places the Virgin Mary, Joseph and newly born Jesus found safety and shelter in Egypt.

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.''  (Matthew 2:1-2)

FLIGHT OF THE HOLY FAMILY

The Hebrew Bible says that the city of Bethlehem was built up as a fortified city by Rehoboam, identifies it as the city David came from and where he was crowned as the king of Israel.

MEALAKAA CHURCH (old Cairo)

The New Testament identifies Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus. Bethlehem was destroyed by the Emperor Hadrian during the second-century Bar Kokhba revolt; its rebuilding was promoted by Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, who commissioned the building of its great Church of the Nativity in 327 CE.

Historians and authors around the world have, long recorded the story of the holy family’s journey from Palestine to Egypt, with dedication. Many look upon the journey as a mark in the history of Egypt, not merely a religious event. Egyptians look with fondness and pride on the passage of the holy mother and her child through the land of Egypt, and the fact that they found solace here.

“Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Hosea 11:1)

“Blessed be Egypt. My People” (Isaiah 19:25)

The flight to Egypt

The Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea in Palestine. Upon his birth, wise men preached to the people of the city, declaring that Jesus was the chosen one, and that, "according to prophecies" they had seen in the stars, he would become the next king of the Jews.

Upon hearing the news, King Herod was overcome by terror at the possibility of losing his throne. He decided that killing Jesus was the only way to protect his royal status.

MONASTERY IN UPPER EGYPT

In a dream, Joseph, the carpenter, was ordered by God to escort Jesus and his mother to Egypt, where they would find refuge. Both Western and Eastern traditions agree that the method of transport most likely used by the holy family on their journey to Egypt would have been a donkey ride. In this situation, the Virgin Mary would have been seated on the donkey, holding the child Jesus in her arms and Joseph would have walked by their side, leading the way.

The distance from Jerusalem to Cairo by land is around 500km, with villages and stops requiring some 50 Km between rests, the route itself was well known since the Pharaohs, and frequented by the Syrian traders.

ROUTE USED BY THE HOLY FAMILY IN EGYPT

Werner Keller writes in his book, The Bible as History (1955): “A day's journey from Gaza brought the holy family to the ancient township of Jenysos, which is mentioned by Herodotus, the Greek historian.” Today, this village, which is part of the Gaza Strip, is known as Khan Younis  (Caravansary of Jonah). “The next town on the holy family's route would have been Raphia (Rafah). Rafah has a history stretching back thousands of years. It was first recorded in an inscription of Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, from 1303 BCE as Rph, and as the first stop on Pharaoh Shoshenq I's campaign to the Levant in 925 BC. In 720 BCE it was the site of the Assyrian king Sargon II's victory over the Egyptians, and in 217 BC the Battle of Raphia was fought between the victorious Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III. (It is said to be one of the largest battles ever fought in the Levant, with over a hundred thousand soldiers and hundreds of elephants, the frontier town between the Gaza Strip and the province of Egypt."

SAKHA

Continuing for another 44 kilometers, beyond Raphia, and after almost two days of traveling, Joseph, the mother and child reach Wadi Al-Arish, a point at which they are safe enough to obtain food and shelter. The holy family passes by other towns in Sinai such as Al-Muhammadia and Al-Farma, located 35 kilometres east of El-Qantara City in Arabic al qantara means "the bridge". Churches from the 5th and 6th century have recently been discovered in Al-Farma.

Route to the Nile Delta

The holy family continued on its trip to the Nile Delta, stopping at the city of Musturod, only 10 kilometres from Cairo. "The Virgin Lady", a 12th century church, was found in the city of Bilbeis (Egyptian Arabic: بلبيس‎‎ , Coptic: Phelbs) an ancient fortress city on the eastern edge of the southern Nile delta in Egypt, the site of the Ancient city and former bishopric of Phelbes and a Latin Catholic titular see...

The Holy Family travel west through what is now known as the valley of Natroun (Wady Natroun - a valley containing Natron salt - famous by Natroun Macarius).

BISHOY MONASTRY IN NATROUN DESERT

“Natroun Macarius was born about the year 300 in Alexandria. He became a merchant until the age of 40 when he was baptized. He then left Alexandria and went to live in the desert. After several years of ascetic life he was ordained a presbyter and appointed prior of a monastery known as the “Kellii,” or “cells” in the Egyptian desert, between the Nitra mountains as a skete in which monastic hermits lived in silence, each in his own cell.  He retired to live alone as a recluse in el-Natroun desert at about the year 345. Many miracles were ascribed to him.”


Later the Holy family crossed the western branch of the Nile (the Rasheed branch) to “Miniet Samanoud” According to local belief the large granite trough in the city was used by the Virgin Mary for kneading dough.

A temple dedicated to the local god Onuris, or Onuris-Shu, and his lioness goddess mate Mehit, once existed at this location but are now reduced to ruins. A fragment to where kings would have made offerings to Onuris and his wife is on display at the Walters Art Museum (Baltimore MD). The site is part of the route of the Holy Family during their time in Egypt.

TREE OF THE VIRGIN MARY

The movie Journey of the Holy Family portrays the settlement of the blessed family in Al-Mataraya district near Ein Shams (Old Heliopolis) a district, which had a notable history during Egypt's Pharaonic period as a part of ancient Heliopolis. The district has archaeological sites of the period, some only recently discovered, beneath its current structures. 
In ancient Roman times, Heliopolis belonged to the Augustamnica province. Legend tells of the Christian Holy Family sheltering under a tree in Heliopolis, presently known as 'the tree of the Virgin Mary' or Mariam’s Tree," now with the Chapel which has evolved into an engrossing attraction for religious tourists. The holy "Mayron oil," or the "Chrism," is nowadays prepared from the oil of the tree.

A church named "The Virgin Mary" was built in the area and is visited frequently by worshipers to this day. A statue of Jesus and his blessed mother guarded by Joseph the Carpenter and Paintings can be found inside the church, a maps of the holy family’s journey (as above), is also on display.

In his book The Geography of Coptic Egypt (1989), French historian Amelenio narrates some of the stories passed down by generations about the miracles of "Mariam’s Tree."

COPTIC ICON OF VIRGIN MARY

One such story tells how “the French army soldiers sat by the tree, drank from its well and wrote their names on its stems.” It is believed that its oil healed some of the wounded soldiers. Amelenio adds: “Al-Matarya district became the most popular Christian shrine in Egypt; a place where people flooded to for blessings and spiritual remedies.”

The second district visited by the holy family in Cairo was Al-Zeitun, where a church by the name "The Virgin Mary" was constructed in Toman Bey Street. It is said that appearances of the blessed lady were witnessed around the domes of the church up until recent years.

Another spot visited by the holy family was Bab Zowela, Been El-Soreen Street in El-Gamaleya district. An ancient church is found there with the same name, "The Virgin Mary". It is considered one of the largest churches in Egypt and is distinguished by its basaltic style.

SAINT SARGUS CHURCH

The holy family moved on to "Old Cairo" (Al-Fustaat) where they dwelled for a short time in a cave later known as Abi Serja’s Church, within the walls of the Roman Babylon fortress. “The cave is about 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide and does not have any windows,” as described by Amelenio, who believes the holy family's stay in the cave did not exceed a week. After leaving Al-Fustaat, they moved to Maadi and settled at the location where the Virgin Mary Monastery and church were later built by the Nile.

“Al-Ma'adi” literally means "the ferries". There was a story that the name comes from a ferry crossing in the area where ferries carried people from the east side of the Nile to the west district today's Maadi stands on the site of a town that has turned out to be a significant predynastic, Ancient Egyptian archaeological site, founded in 3500 B.C. Modern building activity in the area has destroyed some archaeologically sensitive places.

OLD PICTURE OF MAADI MONASTERY

Amelenio explains that during Ottoman rule in Egypt, the church had a marina for boats allocated for the transport of people and soldiers traveling to and from Egypt. The holy family sailed to some villages in Upper Egypt such as Maghagha located on the west bank of the Nile. It is the most northern city in the Minya Governorate. (deir Garnous), then  to “Bahnassa” west of bani Mazar near Minya. Crossing the Nile to the Western bank to Malawy and “Meira” and the mount Qussqm that has the famous Monastry of Al-Muharrak built in tribute to the passage of the Holy Family.

The Deir Al-Muharrak complex is located on the Nile just south of Cusae, in Asyut Governorate in Upper Egypt. It is 375 km south of Greater Cairo. The monastery is unusual because it is one of the very few Coptic ones in Egypt not located into the desert.

 AL-MOHARRAK MONASTERY ASYOUT

The Church of Al-Adhra (Church of the Virgin) at the monastery was built over an ancient cave. It is claimed that Mary and Jesus spent six months and ten days here on their flight into Egypt from King Herod. The altar stone in the church is dated 747 CE.

PROCESSION FOR THE VIRGIN MARY
IN DRONKA MONASTRY (ASSIUT)

In the book “History of the Coptic Nation”, author Samy Saleh records that once Herod has died, an angel tells Joseph to return to Bethlehem, but to avoid Herod's son, Joseph takes his wife and the child to Nazareth in Galilee and settles there taking the same route on their journey back to Palestine.

They first go to Maadi, passing through Old Egypt, then follow the road to Ein Shams "Eye of the Sun" in Arabic, referring to the fact that Ain Shams is built on top of the ancient city of Heliopolis, once the spiritual centre of ancient Egyptian sun-worship. The trip takes the holy family back to the city of Mustorod, and finally to El-Arish, then to Gaza. The known history of Gaza spans 4,000 years. Gaza was ruled, destroyed and repopulated by various dynasties, empires, and peoples. Originally a Canaanite settlement, it came under the control of the ancient Egyptians for roughly 350 years before being conquered and becoming one of the Philistines' principal cities.

ABU SERGA CHURCH (OLD CAIRO)

This city served as Egypt’s administrative capital in Canaan, and was the residence of the Egyptian governor of the region. A caravan point of strategic importance from the earliest times, it was constantly involved in the wars between Egypt and Syria and the Mesopotamian powers.

At present, many Egyptian historians and archeologists are calling for a project to track each town or city visited by the holy family, so as to make it easier for tourists to visit the blessed spots, thus reviving the symbolism of the holy journey and its message of peace and goodwill to all men.