| Escape of St. Family to Egypt هرب العائلة المقدسة إلى مصر | |
 The Holy Family on their Flight (Church of John the Little in Deir Abu Hinnis) |
The new Testament (Mt 2,1–12 ) reported that at the time Herod the Great Magi from Bethlehem after the newborn king of the Jews, Jesus of Nazareth, inquired to pay homage to him. Herod was frightened and sought after Jesus' life. On the advice of an angel of the Lord, Mary with her child and Joseph the carpenter left Judea for the destination Egypt and should only after Herod's death Nazareth to return (Mt 2,13–15, 19–23 ).
The residence of the Holy Family in Egypt plays an important role in the religious life of the Copts, the Orthodox Christians of Egypt, and they see this as their historical legacy. Many of them go to big festivals every year, the Mulids (Arabic:مولد, Maulid / Mūlid, „Birthday party“), In honor of St. Virgin at the stages of the flight of the holy family, also to baptize their newborn children. And Muslims also treat this memory with great respect.
Since the Bible is not a historical work and the reason for the flight, the child murder in Bethlehem, is of dubious historicity, it is difficult to determine whether the flight to Egypt really took place as described in the Bible or at all.
background
Temporal environment
With the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC The Ptolemaic period of ancient Egypt ended. From then on, Egypt was an imperial Roman province. The beginnings of Jewish Christianity in Egypt around the turn of the ages are in the dark. Egypt was a refuge for persecuted Christians like after the Roman destruction Jerusalem in AD 70. They mostly settled in Alexandria, maybe in Babylon at. At the time of St. The family was Gaius Turranius (7 BC - 4 AD) Roman prefect in Egypt.
Reports in the New Testament
In the New Testament one learns about the key events of the birth of Jesus and his early childhood years:
- Proclamation (promise) of the birth of Jesus, Lk 1,26–38 ,
- the birth of Jesus, Lk 2,1–40 , Mt 1,18–25 ,
- the homage of the magicians (magicians), Mt 2,1–12 ,
- the flight to Egypt, Mt 2,13–15 ,
- the Child murder in Bethlehem, Mt 2,16–18 , and
- the return from Egypt, Mt 2,19–23 .
The birth of Jesus
With the information from the New Testament, historiography and astronomy, the year of Jesus' birth can be traced back to about 7 BC. Determine. When Herod in 4 BC Dies, St. Family return after three and a half years in Egypt. The star that the astrologers saw rise is with the conjunction (same apparent position) of Jupiter and Saturn in the year 7 BC. Brought together.
Reconstruction of the escape route
However, it is not possible to deduce the route of the holy family from the New Testament - this would also not be his task - here the work of Jesus and his teaching are in the foreground. So you have to use other sources, such as B. the philosopher and Coptic theologian Otto F. A. Meinardus has done:
- On the one hand, there are the so-called apocryphal ("hidden") writings - these are writings that do not belong to the canon of the New Testament, but are related to it. These include the Arabic and Armenian childhood gospels, the pseudo-Matthew gospel, the childhood gospel of Thomas and the vision of Theophilus (23rd Patriarch of Alexandria).
- Sermons (homilies) of various clergymen, such as B. a homily of Zacharias (Zacharia), Bishop of Sacha (7th / 8th centuries), two homilies by Cyriacus, Bishop of Bahnasā, and a sermon attributed to Timothy II Aelurus, 26th Patriarch of Alexandria (d. 477).
- Coptic and Ethiopian synaxaries, these are descriptions of saints and their feasts assigned to a day.
- Furthermore, historians such as Maqrizi and Abū el-Makārim (in the tradition of Abu Salih) Information desk.
- Finally, one learns details of the escape route from oral traditions.
Not infrequently these documents contain not only historical data but also stories about the miracles of Jesus. It should be noted, however, that these sources did not come into existence until a few hundred years after the events they report. Archaeological evidence or text records from the time of the flight of the holy family would certainly be better, but they do not exist, or they have not yet been found.
Of Bethlehem ins Nile Delta
Following the invitation of an angel of the Lord to Joseph the carpenter to leave Judea (Mt 2,13 ), Maria and her child went to what was later called the Milk Grotto (Arabic:مغارة السيدة, Maghārat as-Saiyida) in 1 Bethlehem
to breastfeed their child. A drop of her breast milk fell to the ground, causing the rock to turn white. Then Joseph sat on a donkey, her child held her in her arms. Joseph will accompany her along with the donkey throughout her entire journey to Egypt.
The earliest childhood wards are in the Armenian Childhood Gospel described. The path of St. The family first took them to the port city 2 Ashkelonin which they stayed for six months.
The further way over the Sinai ins Nile Delta is hardly attested. It is believed that St. Family has traveled along the well-known caravan route. They came after 3 Gaza, a day later after 4 Jenysus (Chān Yūnis) and after 5 Raphia (Rafaḥ). After another two days, they achieved that Wādī el-ʿArish, the natural border between Palestine and Egypt. over 6 Rhinocolura (el-ʿArish) reached the family 7 Ostrakins (today the island el-Filūsīyāt) west of El ʿArish. Their path led them further west near the Mediterranean coast 8 Pelusium (el-Faramā) where St. Family stayed for several days. On the isthmus of 9 el-Qanṭara they got from Sinai to mainland Egypt.
Their journey now followed the Wādī eṭ-Ṭumīlāt, in which the Ismailiya Canal is located today, in the ancient landscape of Goshen, which is located in the Armenian Childhood Gospel Area of Tanis is called. Their way led them to the villages 10 Pithome (Hieropolis, Tell el-Maschūṭa), 11 et-Tell el-Kabīr, 12 Pi-Sopt (Ṣafṭ el-Jinnā) to 13 Pi-beseth (Bubastis in the southeast of today's Zaqāzīq) to 14 Bilbeis.
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It is reported that on her way through Goshen St. Family looked for shelter in a cave. A dragon that came out of the cave screamed at the sight of the Jesus child, fell to the ground and worshiped the child. Since Jesus was able to pacify wild animals, many wild animals joined St. Family (prophecy of Isaiah, Isa 11,6 ).
The Coptic Synaxarium according to was Bubastis the first city on their journey through the Nile Delta. The Vision of Theophilus reports that the inhabitants of the thirsty St. Family denied the water. After an unsuccessful search for a source of water, Jesus drew a cross on the earth, whereupon a spring soon opened up. The water is beneficial for everyone - just not for the people of Bubastis.
Further south, St. Family the city Bilbeisin which Jesus raised a dead man. According to the Coptic and Ethiopian synaxaries and the Homily of Zachariah the family continued on their way 15 Samannūd away. In the Homily of Zachariah will be the next place 16 el-Burullus called. Their further path led them to the area of 17 Sachain which, according to the Coptic and Ethiopian synaxaries, Jesus left a footprint in the rock near Bicha Isous. From Terrana, St. Family on the 1 Sketisthat was blessed by Jesus so that monks should settle here. Then it led its way towards today's 18 Cairo.
Of Cairo to Asyūṭ
The Pseudo-Matthew Gospel reports that St. Family in 19 On (el-Maṭarīya) reached their first site in the Nile Valley. Jesus dug for a spring and stuck a stick in the ground from which a palm tree emerged, under which Mary rested and fed on the fruits. The palm tree no longer exists, today's sycamore dates from 1672. They made their next rest in the Cairen district 20 Harat Zuweilawhere today, among other things, the Church of St. Virgo is located. It is said that the water in the well of this church is healing. Her further path led her over 21 Babylon, 22 el-Gīza and after 23 el-Maʿādī. At the foot of today's Church of St. Virgo they continued their journey on a sailing ship on the Nile.
The historian Abu Salih reports of a stay at the church el-Martuti, which was probably located south of today's Badreschein. The historian Maqrizi mentions a palm tree in 24 Ihnāsyā el-Madīna, under which Maria stopped. It is assumed that the 19th sura of the Koran refers to this ( مَريَم, Maryam, from verse 23), reporting on Mary's pain in childbirth.
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According to an oral tradition, Jesus blessed a source in 25 Ischnīn en-Naṣārā, 12 km southwest of Maghāgha. Their next stop was 7 km to the west 26 Baysus (Deir el-Garnūs). The ethiopian synaxarium tells of a well from which St. Family drank and who was used here like a nilometer. They reached 10 km further south 27 el-Bahnasā. According to tradition, St. Family can get water from a well that was considered to have run dry, and Jesus was able to teach the alphabet and its divine meaning.
They dropped off 28 Kynopolis (el-Qeis) continued their journey in the boat and after about 35 km they reached the 29 Gebel eṭ-Ṭeir. Here Jesus prevented a large boulder from falling onto the boat. Then they sailed further south until they, like i.a. Pseudo-Matthew Gospel reported, 30 Hermopolis magna (el-Ashmunein) achieved. In the city, in which there are no more Christian testimonies today, the images of the idols of the local population are said to have existed on the arrival of St. Family fall apart. The next day, Jesus was able to heal numerous residents of their ailments. After that, St. Family for several days each 31 Manlau (Mallawī) and 32 Kenis (Dairūṭ esch-Sharīf) where Jesus performed more miracles. For example, he could heal a boy who was possessed by the devil.
Their way led them on over the now silted up Sanabu and over the city 33 Cusae (el-Qūṣīya). They built on the site of today's monastery 34 el-Muḥarraq a hut where they stayed for over six months and ten days. The church of St. Virgo is considered to be the oldest in Egypt.
According to an oral tradition, the southernmost station is St. Family about 10 km south of Asyūṭ on the site of today's monastery 35 Durunkaat which St. Family stayed in a cave. Then St. Family after Deir el-Muḥarraq back.
Of Middle Egypt to Nazareth
Meanwhile, Herod died, and an angel of the Lord dreams of telling Joseph that they can return to the land of Israel (Mt 2,19–23 ). Essentially, they follow the route of their outward journey.
About Hermopolis magna (el-Ashmunein) reached them 36 Deir el-Barschāwhere they are in the so-called virgin cave (Arabic:مغارة العذراء, Maghārat al-ʿAdhrāʾ) stayed overnight.
In Old Cairo They spent the night in a cave, where the crypt of St. Sergius Church is today. On their drive north, they continued to stop in el-Maṭarīya and in 37 Musṭurud (el-Mahamma), where St. Family blessed a spring in the area of today's church.
Her return journey now took her over 38 Leontopolis (Tell el-Yahūdīya), Bilbeis, Wādī eṭ-Ṭumīlāt, the isthmus of el-Qanṭara and Gaza. But they did not settle back in Bethlehem, but in 39 Nazareth (Mt 2,22–23 ).
literature
- General depictions of St. Family:
- : The Itinerary of the Holy Family in Egypt. In:Studia orientalia christiana: Collectanea, Vol.7 (1962), Pp. 3-44.
- : The Holy Family in Egypt. Cairo: The American University at Cairo Press, 2000 (6th edition), ISBN 978-977-424-129-1 .
- : About the flight of the holy family according to Coptic traditions. In:Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte (BSAC), vol.38 (1999), Pp. 29-50.
- A part of the apocryphal Gospels, the Arabic Childhood Gospel, the Pseudo-Matthew Gospel, the Childhood Gospel of Thomas can be found in:
- : Evangelia Infantiae apocrypha; Apocryphal Childhood Gospels. Freiburg et al.: Herder, 1995, Fontes Christiani; 18th, ISBN 978-3-451-22133-0 .
- : The Apocrypha: Hidden Books of the Bible. [Aschaffenburg]: Stalemate, 1994, ISBN 978-3-629-91319-7 .
- The Armenian Gospel of Childhood is available in English translation: : The Armenian Gospel of the Infancy: with three early versions of the Protevangelium of James. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-19-954156-0 .
- Theophilus's vision can be found as an English translation in: : Woodbrooke Studies: Christian Documents in Syriac, Arabic, and Garshūni; Vol.3. Cambridge: Heffer, 1931, Pp. 1-92.
- On the sermons of Zacharias, Bishop of Sacha, Cyriakus, Bishop of Bahnasā, and Timothy II Aelurus, 26th Patriarch of Alexandria:
- : History of Christian Arabic Literature; Vol.1: The translations. Città del Vaticano: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944, Studi e testi; 118, Pp. 227-234. Section 55, The Flight into Egypt, contains brief descriptions of the sermon of Zacharias, the vision of Theophilus, and the sermons of Cyriac.
- Sulaimān, ʿAbd-al-Masīḥ (Ed.): Kitāb Mayāmir wa-ʿaǧāʾib as-saiyida al-Aḏrāʾ Maryam: ʿalā ḥasab mā waḍaʿahū ābāʾ al-kanīsa al-urṯūḏuksīya. Miṣr (Cairo): Maṭbaʿat ʿAin Šams, 1927 (2nd edition), Pp. 56–81 (Section 3, Homily of Zacharias, on p. 71 above the places Samannud and el – Burullus are mentioned), 106–118, 119–139 (Section 5 and 6, Homilies of Cyriacus) . Translation of the title: Book of Homilies and Miracles of the Lady, the Virgin Mary.
- : L’homélie sur l’église du Rocher attributed to Timothée Ælure. Turnhout: Brepols, 2001, Patrologia orientalis; 47. 2 volumes.
