We previously talked about Egypt the country of many blessingsthat was always the shelter of prophets and about the escape of the Holy Family to Egypt which fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. We discussed some of stages of the flight trip such as Pharma and Bubastis inwhich the destruction of the pagans occurred, which made the governor very furious and ordered to arrest the child; however the Holy Family left the city quickly at night.
Musturad (Mahama)
In a cave in Musturad where the Holy Family stayed, Jesus Christ emanated a spring in that area-which still exists till today- and where he was bathed in. That’s why it was named as el-Mahamaah (the bathing place); furthermore its water healed whoever used it. Later on a church on the name of Virgin Mary was built, known as “the church of the Virgin in Musturad”.
Samanoud
When the Holy Family reached Samanoud (Gimnuti- Zab prose), its people were in her reception which was very huge and they were blessed by Jesus when he was just a baby. It was mentioned that Virgin Mary kneaded in a large pot made of granite – which still remains- in addition to a spring of water that Jesus blessed.
Sakha
It was considered one of the important stops in the journey of the Holy Family where a rock exists till now which was a base of a pillar where the foot prints of Jesus Christ were printed on after Virgin Mary placed him on the rock. His holy foot sank into the rock and left a print on. Consequently the area was known as “Beja Isos” that meant the foot of Jesus!
That rock was hidden for a long time for the fear of being stolen till it was discovered in 27-9-1984 when the altar was restored. Also Jesus emanated a spring there of which the Holy Family drank from.
Marriott
The Holy Family blessed Marriott area during their movement from Sakha to Natroun valley.
Father Rafael Ava Mina mentioned that there was no direct way between Sakha and Natroun valley, but there were a lot of huge deserts and lakes in an interesting research. So the Holy Family took an old way through one of the Nile River branches, as the Nile River had seven branches at that time, that branch in particular flowed into Marriott lake where the Holy Family reached a port that its effects remained till this very day.
From that port they moved to the city of Maria that looked down on the lake. Then they headed to ancient city of Marriott which was named Abu Mina City and meant the city of Saint Mina whereas Saint Mina the martyr was buried in. It was also an old crossroad from south to north of the valley. Until recently it was a very famous road to passengers that linked between Natroun valley and the ancient area of Saint Mina. Also it was the same road that monks passed through when they visited that area.
“Bishop Theophilus the Abbott of Al-Sourian monastery walked that road from Natroun valley to the area of Saint Mina through the desert, into a road known to all people who dwell the desert, about seventy Kilometers long (It differs from the regular desert road present nowadays of which the distance between Natroun valley and the area of Abu Mina was about one hundred and twenty kilometers). That road remained known to monks, in addition to the vehicles of Border Guards that used to walk through safely, until the rehabilitation of the desert and establishment of canals and sewers, so the road that whoever headed north to Libya passed through was abolished.”
And so the Holy Family moved from Sakha to the lake of Marriott then to the ancient city of Abu Mina then to Natroun valley through that old road whereas at that time there was no known or paved road that passed through the desert to reach Natroun valley. Stories about Beautiful Egypt never end!
General Bishop,
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
