Flight into Egypt

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- The prophet Isaiah provides us with a prediction of the effect the holy Infant was to have on Egypt and the Egyptians:

- “Oracle on Egypt: See, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud on his way to Egypt; the idols of Egypt tremble before him, the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them. On that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt, and a sacred pillar to the Lord near the boundary.” (19:1.19f) 

According to the traditions of the Coptic Church, ‘the altar’ mentioned is that of the Church of Mary in Al-Muharraq Monastery, a site where the Holy Family is believed to have settled for a period of more than six months; and the altar-stone was the bed, upon which the Infant Savior lay.

Al-Muharraq  Monastery is located, literally, in the midst of the land of Egypt standing at its exact geographical center.

St. Matthew tells us neither where the Holy Family abode in Egypt, nor how long their exile lasted; the Evangelist alludes only to the causes of their flight and of their return. Ancient legends relate that they remained absent two years from Palestine, and lived at Matareya, a few miles northeast of Cairo, where a fountain and a Sycamore tree under which they had rested emerged upon Jesus’ request.

It is left to apocryphal legends, immortalized by the genius of Italian art, to tell us how, on the way, the dragons came and bowed to Him, the lions and leopards adored Him, the roses of Jericho blossomed wherever His footsteps trod, the palm-trees at His command bent down to give them dates, the robbers were overawed by His majesty, and the journey was miraculously shortened. They tell us further how, at Jesus’ entrance into the country, all the idols of the land of Egypt fell from their pedestals with a sudden crash, and lay shattered and broken upon their faces, and how many wonderful cures of leprosy and relief of demoniac possession were accomplished by His word. This wealth of legendary miracles arising in part from a mere craving for the supernatural, and in part from a fanciful application of Old Testament prophesies - furnishes a strong contrast to the truthful simplicity of the Gospel narrative.

The Journey 

Sources of the Coptic Church tell us that the Holy Family proceeded from Bethlehem to Gaza, then to El-Zaraniq (also known as Floussiat ), some twenty-eight miles west of Al - Arish, near the oasis of Ain Hagla close to the Jordan River, orthodox monks have named their church in honor of the Holy Family. For them it marks the place where the Holy Family had their first rest. Subsequently, Ain Hagla was surnamed Kalamonia, which means ‘good abode.’ Next, they threaded their way along northern Sinai until they reached Farma (ancient Pelusium) 

midway between al-Arish and present-day Port Said. The Greek monk Epiphanius Hagiopolites (eighth century) as well as the Western monk Bernard the Wise (870 AD) mention in their writings that the Holy Family stopped in this city. The local church dedicated to Mary commemorates the Angel’s message to Joseph to leave for Egypt.

They then traveled east to the ancient city of Hebron, reputedly one of the oldest cities of the world and a holy site for Jews, Christians and Muslims since here in the cave of Machpelah Abraham and Sara, Isaac and Rebecca as well as Jacob and Lea found their last resting place.

                    “Intercede for me with Ephron, son of Zohar, asking him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns; it is at the edge of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence at its full price, for a burial place." (Genesis 23:9)

The apocryphal Armenian infancy narrative reports that the Holy Family continued their journey to Ashkelon where Samson had slaughtered thirty Philistines, 

“The spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, where he killed thirty of their men and despoiled them; he gave their garments to those who had answered the riddle.” (Judges 14:19)

On the twenty-fourth day of the Coptic month of Bashans, which corresponds to the first of June, the Coptic Church celebrates the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into the Land of Egypt. On that day, the churches throughout the land pray in the words of the Doxology:

  "Rejoice, Oh Egypt; O, people of Egypt and all ye Children of Egypt who live within its borders, rejoice and lift up your hearts, for the lover of all mankind, He who has been before the beginning of ages, has come to you".

                    The Coptic Synaxar (calendar of the saints) records Tal Basta (4) - about seventy-two miles northeast of Cairo - as the first Egyptian town visited by the Holy Family. According to the vision of Coptic patriarch Theophilus (384-412), the Holy Family was attacked here by two robbers. Disappointed by this experience, they quickly continued their journey towards Belbeis (6). Another tradition relates that in Tal-Basta - or Basta – (4) Jesus caused a spring to well up from the ground, and His presence triggered 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 (5) (which later received the name Al-Mahmma) only about seven miles north west of Cairo. ‘Al-Mahmma’ means ‘the Bathing place’ a name given to the town because the Virgin Mary bathed the Christ Child and washed His clothes there. 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.