The Holy Family in Egypt
The Holy Family in Egypt acted as a haven for the holy family & baby Jesus
as they attempted to escape the cruel hand of King Herod the ruler of Judea.
The story begins when Jesus is declared the prophet of God and the next king
of the jews, that’s why King Herod felt threatened by Baby Jesus and his followers
and decided to kill him. After Joseph received a warning from an angel of the
lord, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus left Bethlehem and head to Egypt where the king
Herod had no political powers.
How Long did the Holy Family Stay in Egypt?
The holy family crossed 26 locations throughout the county as they sought
out a refuge during their three and a half years of hiding. The holy family
started their quest through northern Sinai where they entered Egypt.
The holy family kept consistently changing their location in order to avoid the reach of Herod’s spies.
Where Did the Holy Family Stay and Journey to in Egypt
The first main city they crossed was Farama a.k.a ancient Pelusium which hold
a first-century church that was built after the introduction of Christianity by st. mark.
This place also holds many churches and monasteries from the old and modern era,
they ventured to Mostorod a.k.a el Mahamaah (The Bathing Place) where the
Virgin Mary bathed Jesus and washed his clothes, in the north of Cairo the
next destination was a small town near Mostorod, “Tel Basta” where Jesus blessed
the land causing a water spring to well up from the ground.
The third stop was “Belbeis” where they sat under the shades of a sycamore
The Holy Family in Egypt
the tree which later became known as the “Virgin Mary’s Tree“, the holy family
crossed the Nile to the city of Samanoud and then the city Sakha is also known
as ‘Peka-Issues‘ “The Foot of Jesus” which is inspired by a rock with a relief
of baby Jesus’s foot on it. Wadi El Natroun was also on their route which later
became the home to many monasteries reflecting the well-preserved Coptic art.
Next, they entered the city of Cairo through the districts of Matariyah and
Ain Shams, then they headed to Old Cairo formerly known as Babylon which
was a massive fortress that was turned into the infamous Abu Sirga Church and
the legendary Hanging Church. The holy family then headed to Maadi which
The Holy Family in Egypt
they boarded a sailboat that took them to southern Egypt, on the docking point
in Maadi, the Virgin Mary Church was built. The family then headed to Minya
where they crossed the east bank of the Nile to the summit of Gabal Al-Kaf
(Mountain of the Palm) where a laurel tree bowed to Jesus as he passed, it is
referred to as El Abed or the Worshipper. The family then crossed the west bank
of the Nile to Gebel Qussqam in Assiut where they stayed for six months longer
than any other place in Egypt, in the same area monastery of Al-Moharraq was
constructed, also in the same spot an angel appeared to Joseph’s dream telling
The Holy Family in Egypt
him to return to Palestine as King Herod is dead.
Many churches and monasteries built along their trail and many spiritualists,
explores, and travels taken by the holy family’s journey as a highly popular draw,
check our Egypt tour packages to book your dream vacation
in Egypt and visit the most famous churches in Egypt.