Flight into Egypt ...

---

The journey continued north to Meniet Samanoud (7) where the local population received them with a kindness and hospitality that earned them a deserved blessing. A large granite trough that, according to local belief, was used by the Virgin for kneading dough, and a water-well, which the Christ Child, Himself, blessed, can still be seen today.

According to a homily of Bishop Zacharias of Sakhâ (seventh c), the Holy Family traveled from Samanoudto Burullusvia Sakha (8) where according to tradition Jesus left his footprint on a rock. For this reason, this place is called Bikha Isus (‘Pekha–Issous’, vernacularized to Lysous) or Footprint of Jesus. The rock was preserved, but hidden for centuries for fear of robbery, and only unearthed again in 1984. Their trail from Sakha is recorded in the documentation of Pope Theophilus’ vision, and attested to by Coptic practice in the Christian era.

Cairo - Giza
 

Continuing their way southwards, the Holy family passed the Fortress of Babylon (Old Cairo, 15) and saw the pyramids of Giza. According to tradition there used to be a palm tree at Giza under which the Blessed Virgin Mary nursed Baby Jesus. This palm tree was allegedly the only tree in the region bearing fruit.

Maadi

Next, the Holy Family moved south, reaching the modern Cairo suburb of Maadi (17), which, in earliest pharaonic times, was an outlying district of Memphis, the capital of Egypt at that time.

Joseph became acquainted with the sailors of the Nile boats and the Holy Family was invited to be taken south to Upper Egypt. The monks of the Dairal-Muharraq (The Monastery of the Blessed Virgin) assume that the Holy Family could afford the travels because of the gold they received from the Wise Men of the East (Mt. 2:11).

The historic church built upon the spot from which they embarked, also dedicated to the Blessed Mother, is further identified by the denominative, ‘Al-Adaweya’, the Virgin’s Church ‘of the Ferry’. (In fact, the name of that now modern suburb, Mandy, derives from the Arabic word, which means ‘the crossing point’).

 The stone steps leading down to the River’s bank, and believed to have been used by the Holy Family are accessible to pilgrims through the Church courtyard.  An event of miraculous import occurred on Friday the third of the Coptic month of Baramhat - the twelfth of March - 1976 A.D. A Holy Bible of unknown origin was carried by the lapping ripples of the Nile to the bank below the Church. It was open to the page of Isaiah 19: 25 declaring:"Blessed be Egypt My People "The Bible is now behind glass in the Sanctuary of the Church for all to see. 

Deir El-Garnous and of Ashnein El Nassara

A well at El-Garnous Monastery The sailboat docked at the village of (the later site of the Monastery of Arganos) four miles west of Ashnein El Nassar Deir El-Garnous a (18). Outside the western wall of the Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a deep well is believed to have provided the Holy Family with the water they needed.
In commemoration of the blessings the village received through the visit of the Holy Family the people celebrate an annual fair, called mulid, on August 21 and 22. During the fair it is said that no one has ever been bitten by vermin.

Approximately five thousand people attend this fair and enjoy the water from the well.

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 (19) which stands some thirteen miles west of the town of BeniMazar.

Muhammad al Baqir (676-731 AD) relates that the nine-months-old Jesus attended the school at Al Bahnassa. “The teacher said to Jesus: “Say the alphabet.” Jesus lifted up his head and said: “Dost thou know what these words mean?” The teacher wished to strike him, but Jesus said: “Do not strike me, but if thou dost not know, ask me and I shall explain to thee.” “Speak,” said the teacher. “Come down from thy desk,” answered Jesus. The teacher came down and Jesus took his place and began to say: “The Alifstands for the good deeds of God, Da for the glory of God, the Gim for the splendor of God, the Dal for the religion of God, the Ha for the abyss of hell, the Wa indicates the misery of those living in hell, the Ha means the remission of sins of those who ask for forgiveness, the K is the word of God which will never change, the Sad is the measure for a measure, the Ta stands for the serpents of hell.” “Well,” said the teacher to the Blessed Virgin, “take thy Son and watch over Him for God hath given to Him wisdom and He doth not need a teacher.” This tradition should be compared with the almost identical story in the Gospel of St. Thomas the Israelite (140 – 160 AD).”[1]

[1] Meinardus, Otto F.A. The Holy Family in Egypt, The American University in Cairo Press, 1986, p 45

 On towards the south they went from Bahnassa to Samalout (20) 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 GabalAl-Tair (‘Bird Mountain’ 21) east of Samalout, and south of Meadeyat Beni Khaled. The Holy Family rested in the cave which is now located inside the ancient Church there. Gabal Al-Tair is also called Gabal El-kaf (Palm Mountain).What's a product or service you'd Deir El-Garnous and of Ashnein El Nassara like to show. 

    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 imprint of His palm is still visible.

When they resumed their travels, the Holy Family passed a laurel tree a stone’s throw south of Gabal El-Tair, along the pathway flanking the Nile and leading from the mountain to Nazlet-Ebeid and the New Minia Bridge of today. It is claimed that this tree bowed to worship the Lord Christ as He was passing. The configuration of the tree is, indeed, unique. All its branches incline downwards, trailing on the ground, and then turn upwards again, covered in a cloak of green leaves. They call the tree Al-Abed "The Worshipper."

  Al-Ashmounein, Qussqam, MeirOnce more crossing the Nile, back to its west bank, the Holy Family traveled southwards to the town of Al-Ashmounein (22) or Harmopolis Magna, but it seems that they did not tarry long there. Leaving behind them the rubble of fallen idols, they continued to Dairout Al-Sharif (which, like Al-Ashmounein had an alternative Greek name, Philes), and thence to Qussqam (28) 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. There exists an entirely different story in the warm welcome with which the holy refugees were met at their next stop at Meir (29) (or Meira) only seven miles west of Qoussia. Here, they found hospitality wherever they went, for which the town and its people were abundantly blessed. And again another story relates that the two robbers who earlier had attacked the Holy Family and since then had followed them closely assaulted them again here with sword and covered faces. They demanded the garments of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and even tore the veil off Mary’s head. One of the thieves who saw that Mary wept felt remorse and intended to return the clothes to them. After Jesus had put his clothes on again, he told his mother: “Mary, I will be crucified in Jerusalem and these two thieves will be crucified with me. The thief who just returned our clothes will realize who I am and believe in me. He will be the first one to be in paradise even before Adam and his descendants.”