Specifics on The Holy Family's Journey through Egypt in Jesus' Footsteps

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Specifics on The Holy Family's Journey through Egypt in Jesus' Footsteps

05 16, 2023

The Holy Family route in Egypt

The Holy Family's sojourn in Egypt is a journey of faith and a world heritage celebrated by Copts and venerated by Muslims. The entry of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus into Egypt is a major Christian festival.

In Egypt, some forty sites have been identified as being part of the route taken by the Holy Family, from the wells used to quench their thirst to the caves that sheltered them, as well as the many monuments and churches built in memory of their passage.

The exegetes agree that the trip to Egypt probably lasted more than two years. According to the text of Matthew, Herod was not immediately informed of the birth of Christ. Reason why he ordered the massacre of all children under two years of age.

Among the milestones is Matarieh, near Cairo airport, where the Holy Family is said to have been sheltered by a sycamore tree when Herod's henchmen were about to overtake them. In this sanctuary, where Christian and Muslim women go to pray for children, is a balsam garden irrigated by the spring in which the Virgin Mary is said to have washed her infant's swaddling clothes.

Another landmark is the church of Maadi, built on the Nile at the point where the gold, frankincense and myrrh offered by the Magi enabled Joseph to take his family upriver. At Sakha, in the Delta, a stone is venerated as bearing the imprint of Jesus' little foot.

The final stopover would be on Mount Qosqam, 330 kilometers south of Cairo. The monastery of Deir Al-Moharraq is built on the site of the house where the Holy Family is said to have stayed. It was here that Joseph, warned in a dream of Herod's death, sent his family down the Nile to return to Galilee.

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The Holy Family needed to travel to Egypt, where King Herod could not wield political authority and hence could not harm baby Jesus. When the Holy Family arrived in Egypt, they changed locations repeatedly to avoid Herod's spies.

The Holy Family set off on their return trip, traveling the same path to Palestine, after spending more than three years in Egypt. They stayed in an area now known as Al-Qussia, where Al-Muharraq Monastery was eventually constructed and is still standing. Al-Qussia was where they resided in Assuit.

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