Although Egypt today is predominantly Muslim, the country has a significant Christian population and has long been a major contributor to the development of Christianity. Indeed, Christians in Egypt, particularly Coptic Christians, feel a special connection to Mary, Joseph and Jesus when celebrating Christmas in Egypt.
That holy one was Ra, also sometimes spelled Re. Today, a testament to that people still stands and is known as the temple to Senusert I. The monument is thought to be the oldest standing obelisk in Egypt. It sets less than a mile from the the equally holy, in Coptic Christian tradition, Virgin Mary's Tree.
Holy Family Flight to Egypt Their Only Trip Outside Palestine
According to the Gospel of Matthew (Matt. 2:13), Joseph was warned in a dream that King Herod intended to kill Jesus and all boys in the area of a similar age to the youth, for King Herod was fearful that the youngster would dethrone him.
Joseph thus led Mary and Jesus into Egypt to hideout until advised it was safe to return. No solid records or documentation exist to verify the locations or the length of their stay, save a tradition claimed to have occurred in a dream, or vision, by a member of Egyptian clergy centuries ago.
One location said to have been visited was near present-day Ain Shams, known in ancient times as Annu, or On, or, in Greek, as Heliopolis. It is said that the family was denied refuge and thus traveled a short distance from the city of the sun god Ra.
It is said that the obelisks in the city of Annu were caused to collapse while the party of three located less than a mile away in or near the area now known as Mataria.
Here, the family took rest in the shade of a sycamore tree and Jesus is credited with causing a spring to usher forth. Water from this was used by them for drinking and bathing.
It also is claimed that a balsam tree sprouted forth from a spot where Mary poured a pitcher of water.
Fragrant Balsam Tree Produces an Oil Popular for Perfume & Religious Ceremonies
According to Be Thou There The Holy Family's Journey in Egypt, the plant is still used today for different types of perfume and the plant is also used for the preparation of chrisma or holy myron, a holy oil that has been consecrated since apostolic times. From generation to generation, the book states, a little of the old oil is added to the new, which has carried the blessing from the earliest days of the church until the present.
The actual tree present today may be but a hundred years old, but belief is that it came from an offshoot of a tree that grew there in 1672, which in turn was from another offshoot and so on. Thus, tradition holds that the history of the tree goes back two thousand years.
During the past decade funds have been raised, with help from international organizations and the United Nations, have built a small museum to preserve the location.
A one mile diameter locale on the northern outskirts of Cairo, serves as home for:
- Virgin Mary's Tree
- Senusert I Obelisk Ancient Pillar of Heliopolis
- Two ongoing archeological sites of antiquity not yet open to the public - Annu and Merenptah
Locations or significant names cited in this article:
- Ain Shams - Center or eye of the sun (not to be confused with present-day Ain Shams, another suburb a couple miles to the south)
- Annu - town that served as the center for worship of Ra. Also commonly known as On.
- Temple of Senusert I - located on a green garden thought to be the center of Annu or On.
- Heliopolis - Greek translation of Annu, or On. Not to be confused with a more recent development three miles southwards.
- Mataria - suburb of Cairo approximately 1/2 mile from Senusert I temple.
Merenptah (altenatively Merneptah) - A very recent discovery about 1/2 mile north of Senusret I temple. Not yet open to the public. At least two small sphinxes and two bust scultures of the ramesite era, probably Ramses II were discovered here during excavations for an apartment complex in 2002-03.
Apparitions of Virgin Mary Reported - Dwelling Found in Nazareth from Time of Jesus
During December 2009, following initial publishing of this report, apparitions reputed to be of Virgin Mary have been sighted in the area at or near the Virgin Mary Tree. Also, Dec. 21, 2009, it was announced that a dwellng determined to have been inhabited during the time of Christ was unearthed in Nazareth. This is the first such dwelling to be uncovered from that period in that locale, archaelogists said - Tony Bolen on his blog bibleplaces, Dec. 21, 2009.
One point more: An eye-witness report was received from a visitor to the tree in mid-February 2010 and is included at the end of this article. [There has been no additional reports and there is no way to confirm or refute the veracity of the comment].
The following sources were consulted for this article:
Be Thou There, The Holy Family's Journey in Egypt, edited by Cawdat Gabra, Pub. American University in Cairo Press; A Concise Dictionary of Egyptian Archeology, by M. Broderick and A. A. Morton, Reprint Edition by Senate, an imprint of Random House UK Ltd; The Obelisks of Egypt, Skyscrapers of the Past, by Labib Habachi, Pub. by American University in Cairo Press.
C. William Anderson - C. William Anderson is a lover of travel adventure and history who has lived and worked in Botswana, Egypt, Libya and the Middle East. He ...
