Further about Egypt
Egypt is the modern word derived from the Greek ‘Aigyptus’, a designation given to the population at the time when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt . The name for the indigenous people, the Copts, is derived from this term. In Arabic, the term for the inhabitants of Egypt is Misr and in ancient Hebrew, Misri. Arabic and Hebrew are both Semitic languages.
The word “Misr” is related to ‘Miz-raim’ son of Ham and the grandson of Noah, according to the Amarna Tablets, found in Minya governorate in Upper Egypt .
(Upper and Lower Egypt are named according to the flow of the Nile --- South to North)
Calendars
Pharaonic remains demonstrate that the Egyptian /Coptic solar calendar proceeds the erection of the ancient monuments because the temples for worship and sacrifice are built facing east and the tombs facing west.
Egyptian Issues providing context to Biblical literature
From Abraham to Joseph
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There where 27 Egyptian dynasties before Alexander the Great (332 B.C.)The 1st king of the 1st dynasty whose temple is at Abydos in Balyana south of the Sohag governorate may have been the Biblical Miz-raim.
The Pyramids were designed and built in the 4th dynasty of the pharaohs.
Abraham was 75 years old when he came to Egypt during the 10th dynasty.
Joseph was l7 years old when he was sold to traders going to Egypt .
The ancient Egyptians had an understanding of God (Gen. 41:38 ---“Can we find a one such as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?). Also, the positioning of tombs to the West and the mummification process indicate their expectation of resurrection.
Joseph began his rule in Egypt at the age of 30 (1778 B.C) during the 13th dynasty . Vivid remains of structures from this period can be seen today.
Jacob came to Egypt at a ripe old age and the Israelites, following him, in 1768 B.C. multiplied in numbers. According to the Biblical records, Jacob died at 147 and was embalmed according to Egyptian tradition in 1751 B C.
Joseph died at the age of 110 and was embalmed and buried in Egypt in 1698 B.C.
From Moses to Jesus
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Moses the dominant character of the Old Testament, was born in Egypt in 1418 B.C and died in 1298 B.C. According to the Biblical story. God himself buried him and his grave is unknown to us .
Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth.Num. 12:3
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Mo ab, according to the word of the Lord
And he buried him …........ , ………… but no man knoweth of his sepulture unto this day. Deut 34:5-6
Moses confronted God at the burning bush and spoke to him, face to face, on Mt. Sinai.
And he said, Draw not hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Ex.3:5
And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai , on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. Ex.19:20
Such theophanies have always led Egyptians to regard their land as holy ground (e.g. a second Holy Land )
The Passover took place in 1338 B.C. Various stations of the Exodus (of which there are 33, the same number of the years as in Jesus life) can be visited today.
History moves towards the Christian era: Alexanders years 332-323 B.C.,
Ptolemys years323-30 B.C.; Roman period 30 B.C. ends with the demise of the Byzantine Empire 641 A.D
The Old Testament translated into Greek: (Greek and Coptic languages are sister tongues of 7 different letters). Such translation was done by Greeks born in Egypt , it was known as the Septuagint the work of 70 scholars
From Jesus to modern Era
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The Holy Family took refuge in Egypt
And when they were departed , behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying , Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him and departed into Egypt spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son Rachel weeping for her children , and would not be comforted, because they are not.
STMt. 2:13-18
St Mark is a tradition recognized as the Evangelist of Egypt and is buried today at Alexandria (his head) and in Cairo (his body)
St. Anthony founded the worlds first Christian Monastery near Hurghada in 271 A.D.
St. Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, gave the first list of the 27 books of the New Testament in his Easter Sunday sermon.
The Christian church of Egypt (Coptic Orthodox), with a membership around 16 million is a vital Christian community with many sites to visit including stops of the Holy Family and the monasteries and churches. Copts believe that God has favored them with special apparitions including
* The miraculous movement of the rocks at Makita Mountain (976 A.D.)
* The appearance of the Scriptures floating on the Nile at St. Mary s church in Cairo with the page open to the Hosea 11:1 out of Egypt have I called my son
In 1968. ( In that same year, the body of St. Mark was returned to Egypt from St. Marks in Venice and now reposes in the Cathedral of St. Mark in Cairo.
Welcome to Egypt
- A Holy land for the place whereon thou standest is Holy Ground Ex. 3:5
- A Civilized land And there was a famine in the land: and Abraham went down to Egypt to sojourn there; …….. Gen. 12:10
- A Land of planty And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened &all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians and the famine
waxed sore in the land of Egypt Gen 41:56
- A land of miracles
- A Secure land And was there until the death of Herod St. Math. 2:15
- A Blessed land Blessed be Egypt my people.Isaiah 19 :25
A Land in which prophecy is fulfilled……a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. Isaiah 19:19