http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/978/heritage.htm
24 - 30 December 2009
Issue No. 978
Heritage
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875
The Biblical story of Jesus in Egypt
The Christmas season is almost upon us and is a great opportunity to tell
children around the world that the infant Jesus travelled in Egypt and
performed his first miracles there, says Jill Kamil
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Click to view caption
Icon of the Nativity by contemporary Coptic artists Budur Latif and
Youssef Nassif
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Despite the biblical references to the Holy Family's journey to Egypt: Take the
young child and his mother and flee into Egypt [Matt: 2:13], and Out of Egypt
have I called my son [Matt: 2:15], outside of the Coptic communities around the
world, the early years of Jesus are not as widely known as the Nativity, the
Passion, and the Resurrection. Is it not time to stage a three-act play in
Coptic churches that combines the Nativity with the Flight into Egypt? It
should be borne in mind that, apart from Copts in Egypt and the Middle East as
a whole, there are more than 500,000 in the United Sates, 100,000 or in Canada,
300,000- odd in Australia, and more than a million residing in Europe, Latin
America, Africa and New Zealand.
If the children of Coptic doctors and academics, engineers and businessmen --
and I should mention that Copts in the diaspora have built impressive Coptic
Orthodox churches and the bulk are regular church-goers -- took part in or
attended such a play, I wager that soon enough the schools that they attended
would come to know about the three-act "Christmas Story", and perhaps it would
then be enacted in churches of other denominations. What a boost to tourism
that would be!
Some years ago an attempt was made by the Ministry of Tourism to promote tours
entitled "In the Footsteps of the Holy Family". The first step, which achieved
great success, was the restoration of sites and churches associated with the
visit of Mary, Jesus and Joseph -- no fewer than 22 throughout the Delta and
Upper Egypt. Subsequently, there was sustained effort in promoting the tour on
television and video clips. Ultimately, though, it failed. The idea was not
sold by travel agents, largely because due consideration had not been given to
its feasibility. It was not possible to take tourists to the sites associated
with the Holy Family because most of them were too far apart: they span the
whole of the Delta as far as Wadi Natrun in the Western Desert, and extend from
Cairo and its suburbs to sites in Upper Egypt as far as south in Deir
Al-Muharraq, west of Assiut.
Religious tourism is a fixture of both ancient and modern cultures, a constant
through the ages, and until today a mainstay of tourism in several areas. It is
not possible, however, to promote this product in the same way as Pharaonic
monuments are marketed, which is to say as religious buildings rather than a
religious experience. What better way than to bolster Coptic Orthodoxy than by
actively joining in the celebrations at the end of each year, rather than wait
until 7 January, the date of the Coptic Christmas, when the New Year
celebrations are over and people are enjoying the post- Christmas shopping
sales? Why not take advantage of the pomp and ceremony that surrounds the
Western Christmas well in advance of 25 December to relish and promote the
tradition so strongly supported in Egypt, of the sojourn of the Holy Family,
and extend our celebrations through to 7 January? And why not bring reverence
for the past into a tangible present by presenting a three-act play at the
right time, when the whole of the Christian world is focussed on the birth of
Jesus Christ. The play might run like this:
Act I: The traditional scene of the Nativity with Christ in the manager, the
three Wise Men and the shining star, culminating with the entry of Roman
soldiers, and with Mary and Joseph gathering up the Child, and fleeing across
the barren desert of Sinai into Egypt's fertile Delta.
Act II could cover their arrival at Bubastis in the Eastern Delta, where Jesus
performs his first miracle. According to tradition, the Holy Family arrived
there at sunrise, exhausted and thirsty. Joseph walked to the village in search
of food and drink, but was harshly turned away by the people in fear of
repercussions from the Roman military. He came back empty-handed. But at
sunset, as luck would have it, a farmer named Aqloum, returning home from his
work in the fields, spotted the family under the tree and asked who they were.
Mary told him that they were a poor family who had come from Palestine in
search of the fortress of Babylon (Old Cairo), where they would be safe. Aqloum
invited them to his house to replenish their supplies before they continued
with their journey. As they approached Aqloum's simple residence, he explained
that his wife was ill and could not welcome them. But Jesus called her name. He
said, "Sarah, you are well, rise and join us." Aqloum's wife at once rose to
her feet and joined her husband in welcoming their guests, and they were indeed
gracious hosts. Aqloum's wife told Mary of the great temple in the city (it was
the temple of Bastet the cat - goddess built in Graeco-Roman times) where there
were colossal statues. She said that religious feasts in honour of the goddess
were great celebrations, and when Mary expressed a wish to see the temple Sarah
accompanied her there with the child Jesus. As soon as they set foot inside the
colossal structure, the statues crumbled in a cloud and fell to dust ('The
Egyptian idols tremble before him' [Isaiah 19:1]). News of the incident spread
rapidly and the governor of the region ordered an immediate search for the
woman and child. Rumours filled the streets about his determination to deliver
the child to Herod. Realising it was no longer safe for them to linger, Aqloum
and his wife guided the Holy Family southwards and accompanied them for part of
the way, carefully avoiding the Roman forces.
When they reached Mataria (Heliopolis) they hid in what is today known as the
Tree of the Virgin. Tradition holds that this tree, originally one of many in
the area, miraculously opened its trunk to enable Mary, Jesus and Joseph to
escape from two brigands who were hot in pursuit. Mary afterwards washed the
clothes of the child in a well. This is one of the most famous places
associated with the Holy Family's travels in Egypt, and demonstrates the
durability of Egyptian culture. The tree was held sacred in Pharaonic times;
the sycamore is depicted in tomb drawings and reliefs show it as the dwelling
place of a "tree goddess" who poured blessings on the deceased. Of all the
sites visited by pilgrims after Christianity was declared the official religion
of the Roman Empire at the beginning of the fourth century, this tree was
regarded as the most holy.
Pilgrims from all over the Christian world believed the leaves to have
medicinal properties and began to deplete the trees, even stripping their
barks. They also bathed in the nearby pool, which was said to have healing
water. In the 15th century Felix Fabri, a Dominican monk, visited Mataria and
noted that a gate had been built around the tree to protect it, and that the
number of pilgrims that could enter at any one time was restricted to four. He
also mentioned that two lamps were hung in the hollow trunk of the tree where
the Holy Family hid. Today's sycamore grew from a shoot planted in place of the
original tree.
Act III could cover miracles performed by Jesus: He stops a rock at Gabal
Al-Tair from falling onto the boat in which they sail to Upper Egypt, leaving
on it an imprint of his hand. He causes water to rise in a dried out well to
quench his thirst. He heals the ailing. There are no comparable stories
anywhere in the world of such miracles associated with the biblical event, nor
are there any relics as there are in Egypt. The final scene could be either
Deir Al-Muharraq, where Joseph built a house for the Holy Family. Coptic
literature is explicit on the length of time the Holy Family spent there --
more than six months, or 185 days to be precise. Today it is one of the largest
and wealthiest monasteries in Upper Egypt, well known for its charitable work
among villagers. Biblical tradition is strong among members of the local
population, who tell that Mary, Jesus and Joseph, weary from their long
journey, stopped to rest at a deserted house on the edge of the agricultural
land. The house was made of sun-dried brick and had a palm-leaf roof, and
nearby was a dried-up well. Joseph repaired the house, and the dried out well
miraculously supplied water. Then Mary and the child stayed in the upper room
of the house, and Jesus travelled around the countryside doing good deeds.
There they stayed until an angel of the Lord appeared and informed them that
Herod was dead and it was safe to return to the Holy Land. A slab of stone that
forms the altar of the main church at Deir Al-Muharraq is believed to be the
one on which Jesus sat when he was a child.
Is it not timely for the Flight into Egypt to be enacted along with the
Nativity, the Passion, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? Should there not
be good quality and well-illustrated children's books on the Flight on
bookshelves throughout the Christian world from the beginning of the December?
There could be books for beginners, first and second grades with simplified or
expanded versions of the various stories described in my Christianity in the
Land of the Pharaohs.
Muslims honour the Holy Family, regarding Jesus as a prophet like Moses and
Mohamed. At Bahnasa in Middle Egypt, an episcopal see in the fifth century but
predominantly Muslim today, local sheikhs quote a passage in their holy book,
the Quran (XXIII:50) which translates as "... and we have made the Son of Mary
and His Mother a portent, and we gave them refuge on a height, a place of
flocks and water-springs". They claim that Jesus attended school at Bahnasa as
a boy, and refer to Arab historian Mohamed El-Bakir (676-731) as their source.
A sacred tree there, known as the Messiah's Tree, grew from a piece of wood put
in the ground and watered from a nearby well; villagers believe that it is the
very same as that planted by Jesus. The city council has erected a fence around
it and placed a cover over the well.
Storytelling lies at the very heart of the Christian movement. Its function
serves to keep a memory alive, to convey an understanding of a happening, and
to recognise it as a living part of a tradition. I suggest that if the story of
Jesus in Egypt were enacted as passionately by children each year as is the
Nativity, it would do much to enhance the story of the divine birth by showing
their subsequent flight into Egypt pursued by Roman soldiers, with the
different stages of the journey undertaken by Mary, Joseph and Jesus, and the
places where Jesus performed miracles.
Apart from Copts themselves, and scholars involved in Coptic studies, the
Coptic Church is largely regarded as a somewhat exotic offshoot of the faith.
We could demonstrate it as part in an ongoing tradition by encouraging children
to do the job.
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