Christ in Egypt: A Divine Journey, A National Blessing
In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
May the blessing of the Father who calls us and His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ who saves us,
and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and transforms us be with us all,
that we may hear His word and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Amen.
I. Egypt: A Living Gospel
The Scriptures declare:
“Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:25, NKJV)
This is not poetry—it is prophecy. Egypt is not only a background in the divine story; she is a chosen vessel of God’s redemptive plan. She cradled the incarnate Word. She opened her arms to the Holy Refugees. And in her land, idols crumbled and grace flowed. In the mystery of the Incarnation, Egypt was not passed over, but called by name. In the journey of the Holy Family, we find a map of divine mercy—God choosing the lowly to carry the eternal.
II. A Coptic Manuscript Confirms the Journey’s Length
In 2024, the University of Cologne in Germany published for the first time a fourth-century Sahidic Coptic manuscript preserved in Al-Fayyum, Egypt. Measuring just 31 cm long and 4 cm wide, this ancient scroll states:
“Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Family lived in Egypt for three years, eleven months, and one day.”
This discovery supports what the Coptic Orthodox Church has long believed and celebrated. While scholars once debated whether the stay lasted one year, three, or even seven, this manuscript confirms with specificity: nearly four years.
According to this record:
- Christ entered Egypt at the age of almost 1 year.
- The Holy Family remained in Egypt for three years, eleven months, and one day.
This timing aligns not only with Coptic oral tradition, but with the spiritual sense of Egypt as more than a stopover—Egypt was home. Sanctified. Visited. Chosen.
III. Testimonies from the Church’s Saints
Three pillars uphold the Coptic memory of the Holy Family’s journey:
1. Pope Theophilus (Patriarch #23, 385–412 AD)
The Virgin Mary appeared to Pope Theophilus in a divine vision, revealing to him the full route of the Holy Family. This vision was later translated into Arabic by Fr. Yacoub of the Monastery of Al-Muharraq in 1818. The Coptic Synaxarion preserves this tradition, marking 24 Bashans (June 1) as the annual feast of the Holy Family’s arrival.
2. Anba Herouphile (Quiruthos), 7th Century
The Bishop of Bahnasa documented the Family’s arrival in Al-Qusiya and their journey through Dayrout in Assiut. His writings—read on 25 Bashans—record the sanctification of the now-venerated sites of Dair Bi Isous and Al-Muharraq Monastery.
3. Anba Zacharias, Bishop of Sakha (10th Century)
Son of Pope Simon I (962–977 AD), Anba Zacharias described the Holy Family’s presence in Sakha, where Christ’s footprint appeared on a stone. His writings are commemorated on 24 Bashans, the feast of their entry.
Though many of the original Coptic manuscripts have been lost, their Arabic translations—guarded by monastics and clergy—remain treasured and preserved within the life of the Church.
IV. Confirmations from Historical Records
Two medieval scholars further affirm the journey:
• Abu al-Makarim ibn Mansour (11th century)
Author of History of the Patriarchs, he recorded sacred relics, wells, and Christian memory tied to the Lord’s presence across dozens of Egyptian towns.
• Abu al-Makarim Saadallah ibn Gerges ibn Masoud (12th–13th century)
His monumental work The Churches and Monasteries of Egypt catalogs the physical sites venerated by tradition—many of which still stand today.
These are not myths—they are memory. They are the fruit of divine footprints in the sand of Egypt.
V. Prophetic Fulfillment: Egypt in the Scriptures
The coming of the Lord Jesus to Egypt was not incidental—it was intentional, fulfilling the voice of the prophets.
“When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son.’” (Matthew 2:14–15, NKJV)
This refers to the prophecy in Hosea:
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.” (Hosea 11:1, NKJV)
This double prophecy speaks first of the historical Israel, and then of Christ, the True Israel. As St. Irenaeus writes:
“Christ became what we were, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself.” (Against Heresies, Book 5. Preface)
Isaiah too proclaims Egypt’s role in divine history:
“Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt; the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence.” (Isaiah 19:1, NKJV)
This was fulfilled literally when, according to tradition, the idols in Tal Basta collapsed as Christ entered the region. And Isaiah continues:
“There will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt.” (Isaiah 19:19, NKJV)
This is fulfilled in the altar of the Church of the Virgin Mary in the Monastery of Al-Muharraq, where the Holy Family remained for over six months. The altar stone is believed to be the very place where Christ rested as a child.
VI. Sacred Sites of the Holy Family’s Journey
The path of the Holy Family is both physical and theological—a map of God’s providence. Here is a summary of their sacred route:
• Al-Zaraniq and Al-Farma (Pelusium)
They entered Egypt via Al-Farma near Rafah.
• Tal Basta (Zagazig, Sharqia)
Christ caused a spring to flow. Idols fell. The people rejected them, so they departed.
• Mostorod (Al-Mahammah)
Mary washed the clothes of Jesus here. A spring still flows with her blessing.
• Belbeis
They rested under the “Virgin’s Tree.” They passed here again on their return.
• Samannoud
A stone still exists where Mary kneaded dough. A holy well remains.
• Sakha
Christ’s footprint appeared on a stone, which was rediscovered and venerated.
• Wadi El-Natroun
Sanctified as the future birthplace of Coptic monasticism.
• Matariya and Ain Shams (Cairo)
The balsam tree grew from water poured by the Virgin. The spring still flows.
• Old Cairo (Fustat)
Here stands the Church of Abu Serga (St. Sergius), built over the cave where the Family found refuge.
• Maadi
They crossed the Nile here. In 1976, a Bible was found floating in the river, open to Isaiah 19:25:
“Blessed be Egypt My people…”
• Gebel al-Tayr (Minya)
Christ stopped a falling rock with His hand. His imprint remains on the cliffside.
• Dayrut Al-Sharif and Qusqam (Assiut)
They stayed for over six months at the Monastery of Al-Muharraq, where an angel instructed Joseph to return.
“Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel.’” (Matthew 2:19–20, NKJV)
This journey covered over 2,000 km—through scorching deserts and hostile terrain. Not for escape alone, but for sanctification.
VII. Theological Reflection: Egypt and the Cross
The journey into Egypt mirrors the Cross in prophetic symbolism.
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11, NKJV)
Egypt received Him before Jerusalem did. In His entry, demons trembled and idols fell—just as on the Cross:
“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15, NKJV)
St. Cyril of Alexandria writes:
“Egypt was not a shameful hiding place, but a sacred beginning. For from it shone the light of salvation to all nations.” (Glaphyra on Hosea 11:1)
Thus, the Cross was foreshadowed in Egypt—a place of deliverance, not just refuge.
VIII. Mental Health Reflection: Fleeing Is Not Failing
In Matthew 2:13–14 we read:
“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.’ When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt.” (Matthew 2:13–14, NKJV)
Joseph said nothing. He asked no questions. He simply obeyed. This silent obedience is a powerful spiritual medicine for today’s mental anguish.
Saint John Chrysostom writes:
“Joseph does not delay; he does not question, he does not speak even one word, although the angel had said nothing more than ‘flee to Egypt.’ This is the obedience of faith, when the soul follows God even in fear.” (Homily on Matthew 8)
This one verse reflects what many families live through: fear, urgency, pressure, and responsibility. Joseph had no map—just trust. No clarity—just obedience. And still, he led.
Pastoral Insight: Many today associate “fleeing” with weakness. But in God’s providence, fleeing is sometimes wisdom. It’s not always spiritual defeat—it can be spiritual discernment.
“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.” (Proverbs 22:3, NKJV)
Even Jesus fled—because His time had not yet come.
IX. Application: What is Your Egypt?
When facing crisis—illness, trauma, burnout, spiritual dryness—we must ask:
- Is this wilderness a punishment or a protection?
- Is God hiding me for safety or silence?
- Am I interpreting obedience as failure?
Spiritual Journaling Exercise:
- “What is the Egypt I’m currently dwelling in?”
- “What appears to be a detour but might be God’s preservation?”
Psalm 77:11–12 (NKJV) gives us a rhythm of healing:
“I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.”
When God brings us into Egypt, He’s also leading us into reflection, remembrance, and worship.
X. St. Macarius the Great and the Desert
St. Macarius once said:
“The soul must be driven into the wilderness to learn trust. Even demons are silenced in the presence of obedience.” (Sayings of the Desert Fathers)
Your season of fear may be the beginning of your faith. Your Egypt—if walked with Christ—can become a holy ground.
Let every Christian parent, every anxious soul, every servant weighed down by burdens, find strength in the icon of the Holy Family:
- The donkey, patient and steady.
- The Virgin, calm in the midst of fear.
- Saint Joseph, silent and resolute.
- And Christ, the Child King, leading by presence.
Sit with this icon in prayer. Let your children meditate on it. Ask:
“Where is Jesus leading our family today?”
XI. Practical Takeaways: Walking the Journey
- Let Egypt be your altar. Where you feel confused or cornered—turn it into prayer.
- Obey in the dark. Joseph obeyed at night. You don’t need full light to take the next step.
- Sanctify the present. Every place the Holy Family stayed became holy. Your home, your work, your journey—can be made sacred through Christ’s presence.
- Wait until Herod dies. Not every battle must be fought immediately. God may be waiting until your enemy has passed.
- Know when to return. “Then he arose… and came into the land of Israel.” (Matthew 2:21) When God opens the way again, go back with courage.
XII. Conclusion: The Journey That Blessed a Nation
The journey of Christ through Egypt was not only for His preservation—but for our transformation.
The idols of Egypt fell. The deserts were watered. The people rejoiced. And the ancient prophecy was fulfilled:
“Blessed is Egypt My people.” (Isaiah 19:25, NKJV)
“Out of Egypt I called My Son.” (Hosea 11:1, NKJV)
The Lord entered Egypt not as a foreigner, but as a king returning to reclaim what was His.
He sanctified the land with His feet and made Egypt the second cradle of the Incarnation.
Let us then never despise the detours of God.
“Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel… and dwelt in a city called Nazareth.” (Matthew 2:21–23, NKJV)
After Egypt comes Nazareth.
Father andrew awad
After the wilderness comes wonder.
After the hiding comes healing.
After the exile comes the altar.
Let us carry this blessing in our homes, our churches, and our souls.
May the Lord bless us, transform our hearts and minds,
that our homes may stand on the Rock, our hands serve in the harvest,
and our hearts long for Heaven. Amen.