Date: Sat, 24 Apr 93 11:18:30 -0700 Subject: Copt-Net Newsletter: Issue #4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ___ ___ /___\ ___ IHC | | nXC ______| |______ /______| |______\ | _|_ | |______ | ______| | | ______ ______ ______ | | __ _____ _______ /_____/\ /_____/\ /_____/\ | | /\_\___ /\____\ /\______\ \ ___\/ \ __ \ \ \ __ \ \ | | / / /___\ / / ___/ \/__ __/ _\ \ \_____\ \ \ \ \_\ \_\ \ \___| |____/ / ___ /_/ / /_\___ / / / / \ \ \____ \ \ \ \ \ \ ___\/ | | / / // / / / / ___/ / / /\ / \ \/___/\ \ \_\ \ \ \ \ \ | | / / // / / / / /_\ / / / \ / \_____\/ \_____\/ \_\/ | | \/_/ \/_/ \/____/ \/_/ \ / \ /____________________________________________________________________________\ \ / \ An electronic newsletter about the Coptic Orthodox Church / \ / \ "Blessed is Egypt My people" / \____________________________________________________________________/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents ----------------- 1. Easter Greetings: Christ is risen; Truly he is risen! 2. The Holy Family in Egypt (part 1) 3. Anba Abraam, the Friend of the Poor (part 4) 4. A Review of the Coptic Encyclopedia 5. A Coptic Dictionary by W. E. Crum Readers' Corner --------------- 1. Does a priest's misbehavior preclude the delivery of sacraments? 2. Do Christians believe in three gods? If not, then what is the Trinity? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _ _ ___ ___ _____ ___ ___ _ ___ ___ _____ \ / | \ | | ` | | | | ` / \ |\ | | | ` | | | \/ |__/ | | | | | | ' / \ | \ | |__ | | |___| /\ | | | | | | | / \ | \| | | | | | _/ \_ | | |___, | |___| |___, \___/\_ | | |___ |___, | | | | oo | | | __ | | _ | / \ | | / | | \__| ___ _ | | .'--' \________________/ /___)_____)_____)_)_)__/_]_| | | / | ( oo | \___, ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | | "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye | | everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in. | | Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the | | King of glory. | | | | ............. | | | | Hallelujah; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Thy | | kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord | | and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever | | King of kings and Lord of lords. | | | | .............. | | | | Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us | | to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches and | | wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. | | Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him | | sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb | | for ever and ever. | | | | Amen." | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- To all our readers who celebrated Easter the last two weeks, we would like to extend our best wishes for a blessed Easter and Pentecost season. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- The Holy Family in Egypt ------------------------ Foreword -------- The following account of the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt is adapted from Otto Meinardus' popular book "The Holy Family in Egypt". Many of the stories and events mentioned here are from traditions not necessarily representing the beliefs or traditions of the Coptic Orthodox Church. As a matter of fact, some of them would definitely qualify as legends. In addition to the Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Spanish, Arabic, and Jewish traditions (both oral and written), the author relies on the accounts of the pilgrims of the early and middle ages, who followed the steps of the Holy Family as part of the pilgrimage to the Holy Lands in Palestine and Egypt. Also, the author supports his account of the flight to Egypt using the writings of famous historians such as Muhammad al-Baqir (8th century), and Al-Makrizi (14th century). Otto Meinardus' book takes you in a tour of Egypt. It's a journey that started with the feeble steps of a Mother and Child, who fled the wrath of a king to find refuge in a land, in the midst of which "an altar to the Lord" still stands and a "pillar to the Lord" will always exist as prophesied by Isaiah. It's a journey that speaks of places, some of which exist no more, but which will remain engraved deep in the memory of history. Copt-Net Editorial Board April 1993 Preface ------- The following history of the Journey of the Holy Family to Egypt has been compiled from various Eastern and Western apocryphal literature and traditions. In addition, it makes use of the "Vision of Theophilus" by the 23rd Patriarch of Alexandria (fourth century) and the Homily of Zachariah, Bishop of Sakha (seventh century). Furthermore, the Coptic and Ethiopic Synaxaria, the writings of the thirteenth-century historians Abu 'l-Makarim and Solomon of Khirlat, several Muslim traditions, and finally the reports of the mediaeval pilgrims to the Holy Land who visited Egypt in the course of their pilgrimage have been all consulted and reviewed. Wherever possible, the local oral traditions are mentioned and sometimes added to the story. The itinerary of the Holy Family, as set out in this document, is based chiefly on mediaeval traditions, which, however, are still considered part of the heritage of the Copts. Thus an attempted reconstruction of the itinerary of the Holy Family will, it is hoped, prove useful to the student of Christian Egypt. In order to make this study as complete as possible, the author visited those places in Egypt which, according to the various traditions, were hallowed by the presence of the Holy Family, and wherever possible the author has given a brief description of these localities as they actually are. The Birth of Christ ------------------- ``And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.'' (Luke 2:1). This general census took place every fourteen years throughout the Roman empire, which included at that time also Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. As regards the Roman province of Syria, ``this taxing was first made when Cyrenius (or Quirinius) was governing Syria.'' (Luke 2:2). Cyrenius, the governor, was the well-known Roman senator Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, who during the period between 10 B.C. and 7 B.C. commanded the legions in the war against the Homonadenses, a tribe of the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor. During these three years Quirinius had his headquarters in Syria. We have a record which indicate that a census was taken about the years 6 A.D. or 7 A.D.. This census, however, cannot be that referred to by St. Luke, as the Evangelist clearly states that the first census took place at the time of the birth of Christ, while King Herod was still living, that is to say before 4 B.C. In this connection it should be noted that in the change from the "Anno Urbis Conditae" (Roman Era) to Anno Domini (Christian Era) which was made by Dionysius Exiguus in 526 A.D., an error of four years occurred in his calculations. He placed the birth of Christ in the year 754 A.U.C. But Herod the Great, who slew the innocents of Bethlehem, died in April of the year 750 A.U.C. Now, if we subtract the three and a half years residence of the Holy Family in Egypt (according to Coptic tradition) from the date of the death of the King Herod (4 B.C.), we arrive at the date of 7 B.C. for the birth of Christ, which was the very period when Quirinius held office in Syria. Furthermore, if we count back fourteen years from the census made in 6 and 7 A.D., we discover the date of the first census in 7 B.C., the year of the birth of Christ. ``Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him'' (Matthew 2:1-2). With regard to this star, W.Keller writes in his book ``The Bible as History", that according to the calculations of Kepler and Schnabel, this particular phenomenon occurred in the year 7 B.C. In 1603, Johannes Kepler, the famous mathematician and astronomer, observed two planets, Sturn and Jupiter, which in the constellation of Pisces had moved so closed to each other that they appeared almost like one single and unusually large star. Studying his notes, Kepler remembered having read in the writings of the Jewish philosopher Abravanel, that the Messiah would appear when there was a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation of Pisces. According to astronomical calculations, Kepler deduced that the same conjunction occurred in 7 B.C., the year in which Jesus Christ was born. In 1925, the German scholar P. Schnabel, while deciphering the Neo-Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions of the ancient School of Astrology at Sippar in Babylon, discovered a series of dates with regard to observations of planetary positions in the constellation of Pisces. Here, Jupiter and Saturn were carefully traced over the period of 5 months. The date, which Schnabel calculated, fell into the year 7 B.C. Furthermore, it was established that this conjunction was particularly clearly visible in the Mediterranean area. According to Chaldaean astrology, the constellation of Pisces was the sign of the ``West-country'', the Mediterranean; and according to Jewish tradition, it was also the sign of Israel, the sign of the Messiah. Thus Keller writes: ``This wonderful encounter of Jupiter and Saturn, guardian of Israel, in the constellation of the West-Country, of the Messiah, must have deeply moved the Jewish astrologers of Babylon, for according to astrological ways of thinking, it pointed to the appearance of a mighty king in the west country, the land of their fathers. To experience that in person, to see it with their own eyes, that was the reason for the journey of the wise astronomers from the East.'' From Bethlehem to the Nile Delta -------------------------------- "And when they [the wise men from the east] 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. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed into Egypt; and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I called My Son" (Matt. 2:13-15). Before the Holy Family together with Salome, the midwife, departed from Bethlehem, they remained for a while in a grotto, which is situated south-east of the Basilica of the Nativity. This grotto known to the Arabs as 'Magharet as-Saiyidah', the Grotto of the Lady, is an ancient sanctuary which is venerated by Christians and Muslims alike. An Armenian tradition relates that the Blessed Virgin Mary on her flight to Egypt stopped there and suckled her Child. Some drops of her milk fell on the rock, and it immediately turned white. There is a good reason to believe that a church was built on this site by St. Paula, who lived in Bethlehem and died there in 404 A.D. Though it was first dedicated to the Virgin Mother, the church was later known as that of St. Paula. In the fourteenth century, it belonged to the Greeks and was dedicated to St. Nicholas, and eventually it passed into Latin hands. This grotto has supplied the soft white stones, known as the Virgin's Milk, which can be found in many Latin churches throughout Europe. The present church built of the Grotto was dedicated in 1872. The Grotto is a favorite place of pilgrimage for women, on account of the milk-white rock, which is prized for its healing power and as an aid to lactation. Women pilgrims take away with them pieces of this soft rock, which having ground into powder, they mix with water and drink. In connection with the flight into Egypt, it would not be out of place to mention the most likely means of transport which the Holy Family used. Both the Eastern and Western traditions, are unanimous that the journey of the Holy Family in Egypt was accomplished by an donkey. In this case, the Blessed Virgin would have been seated on the donkey, holding the Divine Child in her arms, and Joseph would have walked on their side leading the donkey. Such for example was the means of transport used by Moses when he took his wife and sons and set them upon a donkey and returned to Egypt (Exodus 4:20). Furthermore, the prophecy of Zecharaih stated explicitly that the Messiah would come riding upon a donkey (Zech. 9:9). Apart, however, from Biblical analogy and prophecy, the donkey was the animal most frequently used in the East for travel. Indeed the donkey was one of the most valuable possessions of a family. In comparison to a horse, the donkey is much more economical, for it can be given almost anything to eat. As a skilled worker, Joseph the Carpenter could certainly have afforded to purchase a donkey. This according to Jewish custom would probably have been adorned with an amulet consisting of a fox's tail, or a crimson plume to protect it from the evil eye. To depict the Holy Family as clad in the Arab dress of recent times, namely the qamis (a sort of long shirt), the 'abayah (a top-robe), the kuffiyah (a scarf) and the 'uqal (a head dress), is just as incorrect as to clothe them in the garments of mediaeval painters. The clothes which the Holy Family would have worn would have been those in fashion at the time in the whole Greco-Roman world. These which were the same for men as for women, consisted of the linea (a long robe reaching from the neck to the feet) with close fitting sleeves, the tunica (a sort of tunic reaching to the knees) with short sleeves, the palenta or casula (a large round piece of stuff with a hole in the center for the head to pass through) which fell in folds over the shoulder and the arms and enveloped the hole body down to the knees. It was an outdoor garment and afforded warmth warmth and protection against the wind and rain. For travel and work a girdle was added, and for travel shoes or sandals were worn. Incidentally, these three garments, the linea, the tunica, and the palenta or casula became ultimately the ecclesiastical vestments known as the alb, the tunicle and the chasuble. With regard to the food eaten by the Holy Family on their travels, this would have consisted (in addition to meat, fish, and bread) of coarse horse-beans, lentils, chick-peas, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and leeks. The fruits available at this period in the Near East would have been grapes, dates, and figs, and honey would have replaced the modern sugar. Wine "that maketh glad the heart of man" (Ps. 104:15) was a common beverage. According to the Armenian Infancy Gospel, the Holy Family first went to the ancient Philistine city and seaport of Ashkalon, where Samson went to kill thirty Philistines (Judges 14:19). At the time of the visit of the Holy Family, Ashkalon was a strong and beautiful center of Hellenistic culture with a special cult to Drecetus or Atargates, a goddess with the body of a fish and the face of a woman. Herod the Great had embellished the city with fountains and sumptuous buildings, of which some beautiful Corinthian columns can be seen to this day. From Ashkalon the Holy Family proceeded in an almost easterly direction to Hebron, one of the oldest towns in the World. According to the Bible, the city was founded seven years before Zoan (Num. 13:22), the present village of San al-Hagar in Lower Egypt. Hebron's chief interest is now its Haram, an enclosure built over the traditional site of the cave of Machpelah (Gen. 23). Within the enclosure is a mosque and synagogue, formerly a twelfth century Crusader's church, which in its turn was built on the site of a basilica of Justinian's time. Within the building are the cenotaphs of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebbeca, and Leah. The Armenian Infancy Gospel informs us that the Holy Family remained here in hiding for a period of six month. About 40 Kilometers further on, in a westerly direction, there is the site of the ancient Canaanite stronghold of Gaza (Genesis 10:19). If the Holy Family had followed the caravan-route from Judaea to Egypt, they would have passed this city, into which Samson was enticed and finally overcome by the beautiful Delilah ( Judges 16:21-31). At the time of Christ, this city had acquired a certain amount of splendour and magnificence, as it had become a center of Hellenistic culture, for after its destruction by Alexander Jannaeus, brother of Aristobulus I, in 913 B.C., the Roman Consul Aulus Gabinus had rebuilt it in 57 B.C. By taking the route which runs parallel to the shore of the Mediterranean sea, the Holy Family would have crossed, after another two hours, the Wadi Gaza. It was here that Sir Flinders Petrie carried out his excavations on the presumed site of Gerar. Here also, Alimelech, King of Gerar, took Sarah the wife of Abraham under the impression that she was his sister, as he himself said, but later he restored her to her husband ( Genesis 15:1-16). When Isaac sojourned in Gerar, the people of the land desired Rebecca, his wife, but Abimelech protected both Isaac and Rebecca (Genesis 26:1-25). A day's journey from Gaza brought the Holy Family to the ancient township of Jenysos, which is mentioned by Herodotus, the Greek historian. Today, this village, which is part of the Gaza-strip, is known as Khan Yunis. The next town on the, Holy Family's route would have been Raphia (Rafah), the frontier town between the Gaza-strip and the province of Egypt. Raphia, which had been the battleground of the contending forces of Ptolemy IV and Antiochus the Great in 217 B.C., was conquered by Alexander Jannaeus, the Maccabee and annexed to Judaea. It was restored again, however, to Egypt by Gabinus. During the Byzantine period, Raphia, like Gaza, was the seat of a bishop. Continuing the caravan route for another 44 km., about two days of traveling, the Holy Family crossed the River of Egypt, the Wadi al-'Arish, which at all times formed the natural boundary between Egypt and Palestine. Strangely enough, what the ancients called the 'River of Egypt' was not the mighty Nile, but a small stream. By crossing this inconspicuous trickle, the Holy Family must have thought of the many occasions in the history of their people, when this 'brook of Egypt, with its "goings out" at the sea, served as boundary, from the days of the conquest of Canaan (Numbers 34:5), to the calling of Solomon's assembly ( I King 8:65). A little further on, the Holy Family would have arrived at the city of Rhinocolura, the present al-'Arish. Criminals and those accused of high treason were sent to this city to receive their punishment, which consisted in cutting off their noses. Since we possess no evidence either written or oral as to the exact route followed by the Holy Family in their flight from Bethlehem to Egypt, the particulars given above are purely conjectural, but we may reasonably suppose, that once the Holy Family were out of danger of pursuit, they would have traveled along the usual caravan route between Judaea and Egypt, which passed through towns and villages, where they could have obtained food and shelter. The first town which would be reached after Rhinocolura, was Ostrakini. Of this place we know very little, beyond the fact that Abraham, Bishop of Ostrakini, attended the Oecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. As a town, Ostrakini has disappeared, though there is a village called Straki, which is situated in the vicinity of al-'Arish. Almost at the south-western end of the caravan-route from Judaea to Egypt there is the celebrated city of Pelusium (Farama), metropolis of the province of Augustamnica, sea-port and key to Egypt. To this city, which is identified with the Biblical Tahpanihes, Johanan, the Son of Kareah (588 B.C.), ``took the remnant of Judah... men and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah, and Jeremiah the prophet'' (Jeremiah 43:5-8). Sixty-three years later in 525 B.C., Psammetichos III was defeated at Pelusium by Cambyses the King of Persia, and Egypt became a Persian province. At the time of the Holy Family's visit, Pelusium was still an important city and sea-port, and it is quite likely that they stopped here to rest for several days, before entering the Nile Delta. Pelusium had many marshes lying around it, which, at the time of the Holy Family's visit, were called Barathra or water holes and swamps. For that matter, Pelusium may have received its name from the mud (pelou) of the swamps. The Greek monk Epiphanius (ninth century), as well as Bernard the Wise (870 A.D.) mention the tradition according to which the Holy Family visited this historical city, which Macrizi reckoned among the wonders of Egypt. In the Itinerarium Bernardi Monaachi we read: ``From Tamnis we came to the city of Farama, where is a church of St. Mary, on the spot to which by the admonition of the angel, Joseph fled with the child and its mother. In this city, there is a multitude of camels, which are hired from the natives by the travelers to carry their baggage across the desert (to Jerusalem) which is a journey of six days.'' That many of the pilgrims passed through Farama is attested by the itineraries of men like Jacques de Vitry (1180 A.D.) and Marino Sanuto (1321 A.D.). Abu 'l-Makarim considered that ``Farama was exceedingly wonderful, and one of the most ancient foundations of which there is a record. There were at Farama many churches and monasteries which were wrecked by the Persians and the Arabs.'' This city, indeed, was occupied by Amr ibn ElAss on his way to conquer Egypt. Subsequently, it was fortified again by al-Mutawakkil about 853 A.D. In 1117 A.D. Baldwin, King of Jerusalem, occupied the city, but unable to hold it, he laid it in ruins. Baedeker speaks of the ruined Tell Farama, which now contains no objects of interest. In The Nile Delta ----------------- It was at the time when Gaius Turranius (7 B.C. - 4 B.C.) was Roman Prefect of Egypt, that the Holy Family crossed the narrow isthmus at al-Qantara (the bridge), which separates the Lake Menzaleh from the Lake Balah. It was over this isthmus that the ancient caravan-route from Judaea to Egypt passed, a route which centuries before had been used by Abraham (Genesis 12:10) and Jacob and his sons (Genesis 16). In the steps of the patriarchs, the Holy Family entered the Province of Goshen. By the land of Goshen (Genesis 45:10) we are to understand approximately the triangle of land which has its apex the modern town of Zagazig, and as its base Bilbais and Tell Al-Kebir. However, as the city of Pithom, the site of which is marked by the mounds near al-Mahsama, was also in the land of Goshen, the Wadi Tumilat must likewise have formed part of Goshen. Moreover, both the Septuagint Version of the Old Heliopolis, to Pithom and Raamses, the fortified cities built by the Hebrews for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). If On really lay in Goshen, this would extend the district in which the Hebrews lived almost to the outskirts of the present City of Cairo. It should be remembered that it was Asenath, a daughter of a priest of On, whom Joseph married (Genesis 41:45). The Armenian written traditions mention that the Holy Family made their way into the Province of Goshen by passing through the Plain of Tanis, and that they settled in Bilbais, where they remained for a while. This tradition would suggest an alternative route, following the ancient Roman military road from al-Qantara via Faqus to Bilbais. At the same time, it would be most unlikely that the Holy Family passed as far north as Tanis, the Biblical Zoan (Psalms 87:12,43) and the present fishing village of San Al-Hagar. There is good reason to assume that the Holy Family entered the Nile Delta through the Wadi Tumilat, and if this were the case, one of the first towns which they would have reached on their way would have been Pithom or Pi-tum, the abode of Tum, the Setting Sun. We read in Exodus 1:11, that the Children of Israel in the land of Goshen built for the Pharaoh the treasure cities Pithom and Raamses. These military store-houses were evidently built by Ramses II, the Pharaoh of Oppression, using for their construction Nile mud mixed with chopped straw. The ruins of Tell Al-Maskuta, near Al-Mahsama, mark the site of the Biblical Pithom. This site was excavated for the Egypt Exploration Fund by Professor Naville in 1883, who discovered among the temple-buildings several grain-stores. The assumption that the Holy Family went through the Wadi Tumilat is supported by a Spanish tradition, supposedly told by King Sancho IV, el Bravo (1257-1295), at the time of the conquest of Tarifa. This story affirms the route which the Holy Family took along the coast of the Mediterranean. According to this Spanish tradition, the Holy Family was accompanied by a virgin (presumably Salome) and three young men. Because of the heat, however, the Holy Family decided to look for shelter in a cave. But as they approached a cave, many wild animals came out of it. At first, the Virgin Mary was much frightened, but Jesus pacified His mother and all the wild animals dwelt together and the prophesy of Isaiah was fulfilled which said: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6). Then the Holy Family proceeded further and Joseph saw a palm tree which provided shade and fruits for the weary travelers. When the Holy Family entered the province of Hieropolis, they came to a town called Sieno. If we accept Hieropolis to be the ancient Heroopolis, the Holy Family would have passed through the Wadi Tumilat. Heroopolis or Abu Keyshed is the site of the ruins of Tell Al-Maskuta. Sieno, which must be the Spanish name of an old Egyptian town, is unknown today. On their way through the Wadi Tumilat, the Holy Family must have seen the byblus (papyrus) and the Egyptian bean which at that time grew in the marches and lakes. The byblus, though not cultivated, could be seen especially in the lower parts of the Nile Delta. From the Egyptian bean, the ciborium, a kind of drinking cup was made, which could be found in great abundance in the shops in Alexandria and elsewhere, where they were sold as drinking vessels. About fifteen kilometers westward of the ancient Pithom, there was situated the township of Succoth, the first halt of the Israelites on their exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:37, 13:20). This site is generally identified with the village of Al-Qassasin. A day's journey from Succoth would have brought the Holy Family to the other treasure city built by the children of Israel, Raamses, the present village of Tell Al-Kebir. At Raamses, the Family entered the fertile Nile Delta. Traveling further on a westerly direction, they passed the ancient city of Pi-Sopt, the present village of Saft Al-Hinna, and from thence they went to Bubastis, the Pi-Beseth of the Bible (Ezekiel 30:17-18). Most probably, the court where Joseph had his headquarters was at Bubastis. This city, of which only the ruins remain at the present day, must have been very important in the past. The deity of Bubastis was the great goddess Bast, who is represented with a disk encircled by a uraeus on her head and holding a lotus-sceptre in one hand. The festivals of Bast were celebrated with great rejoicings. Herodotus provides us with some very intimate knowledge regarding these festivities. According to the Coptic Synaxarium, Basatha (Bubastis, Pi-Beseth, Bastah, or Tell Al-Bastah), which is two kilometers south-west of Zagazig, was the first town in the Delta which the Holy Family and Salome visited. They were not, however, well received there in spite of the fact that they revealed (according to traditions) a spring of water, which became a source of healing for all, except for the inhabitants of Basatah. Details of this story are given in the Vision of Theophilus, where we read that in Basatah, the Holy Family met two brigands, Titus, who was an Egyptian, and Dumachus, a Syrian. And the Syrian brigand said to the Egyptian: "I should have liked to plunder the garments that are on this woman and her Son, because they resemble the garments of kings, and if I had encountered them in a place other than this, I would have taken those garments from them." But the Egyptian brigand said to him: "Let us proceed on our way. I never saw a Child like this since I was born." Then Jesus asked for water and the Blessed Virgin looked around and did not find the water which her Son was asking for. Then the Blessed Virgin arose, and took her Son and brought Him to the town and asked the women for Tater to give to Him, but none of them wished to give them anything, as the inhabitants of that town had little compassion. When the brigands saw the Blessed Virgin and her Son entering Basatah, they came back and went to Joseph, and while he was asleep, they abducted the golden and silver sandals of Jesus and fled. When the Blessed Virgin realized this, she was much distressed and wept. When Jesus however saw His Mother weeping, He wiped off her tears, and stretched His small finger and made the sign of the cross on the earth, and instantly a spring of water jetted forth and flowed on the ground. And they drank this water which was as sweet as honey and as white as snow. Then Jesus blessed this water and said: "Let this water help make whole and heal the souls and bodies of all those who shall drink of it. with the exception of the inhabitants of this town, of whom none shall be healed by it." The Copts remember the town of Basatah also because of St. Apoli, the son of Justus Stratelates, who was beaten and flogged at Basatah during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian (284-305 A.D.) Finally, St. Apoli was cast into prison, where Jesus appeared to him by night and consoled him. Today, the ruins of the ancient Bubastis with their brick walls are the only remains of this once famous city. The temple of the goddess Bast at the south-west foot of the hill was excavated in 1887-89 by Professor Naville. Disappointed at their reception in Basatah, the Holy Family went on a day's journey further southward, and reached the town of Bilbais, by which passes the modern Ismailiya Canal. As the Holy Family entered the town, a funeral procession came out, and Jesus, who had compassion on the mourners, raised the dead man to life. Then He learned that it was the son of a widow, who having been brought back to life, declared: "This is the True God, the Saviour of the world, Who is born of the Blessed Virgin, Who accomplished a mystery which the human intellect cannot comprehend." And all the inhabitants of Bilbais believed in Jesus. During the Middle Ages, the pilgrims to the Holy Places, who passed through Egypt, stopped at Bilbais to kneel at the foot of the great tree, which according to both Christians and Muslims, commemorates the stay of the Holy Family at Bilbais. The Muslims called it the Tree of the Virgin, and they had such respect for it that they reserved the space around the tree as a necropolis for their venerated saints. They relate with sorrow that the soldiers of Napoleon who passed by this tree wanted to cut it down, but at the first blow of the axe, it began to bleed, and they departed in fear. The tree was eventually cut down about 1850 by some workers who used the wood to make a fire. Today, there is only one Coptic Church in Bilbais, the Church of St. George (MariGirgis) which is situated in the north-eastern part of the town, about one kilometer from the main road. The site which commemorates the visit of the Holy Family to Bilbais is the 'Uthman ibn al-Haris al-Ansari Mosque, in the center of the town, at the corner of al-Ansari street and al-Baghdadi street. According to the Ethiopic and Coptic Synaxaria, the Holy Family left the Sharqiah Province and pursued their way in a northerly direction till they reached the town of Samannud (Gamnudi), the ancient Sebennytos or Zeb-nuter, which is situated on the Damietta branch of the Nile, where they crossed the river towards the west. A local tradition in Samannud relates that the present Church of Abba Nub was built on the ruins of an ancient church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, which in its turn was built on the site where the Holy Family stayed. The Christians of Samannud point to a place in the nave of the church where at one time there was a well, the water of which had been blessed by Jesus. The relics of the martyr are preserved in this church, whither every year about a thousand pilgrims flock on July 31st, the feast of the Saint. Apa Nub, who was a native of Nahisah, went to Lysias, the Governor of Samannud, and professed that he was a Christian. He was then taken away on board a ship, and crucified to the mast, but was afterwards miraculously released. At length Armenius, the Governor of Alexandria, had him put to death. In his Homily, Zachariah, the seventh-century Coptic Bishop of Sakha, states that the Holy Family proceeded from Samannud to Burullus, near the Mediterranean coast. Here, at the Shrine of St. Dimianah, the Antonian monks relate an oral tradition of the visit of the Holy Family to the area, which three centuries later was blessed by the blood of the martyrdom of the Virgin-saint Dimianah and her forty Virgins. The large crowds of pilgrims, who, every year from the 5th to the 22nd of May, come from all over Egypt and assemble at the Shrine of St. Dimianah, know little or nothing of the tradition of the visit of the Holy Family. They come because of the intercessions of "Sitt Dimianah". Having crossed the Damietta branch of the Nile, the Holy Family traveled westwards to al-Gharbiyah, the province which is situated between the Rosetta and Damietta branch of the Nile. On the way, Jesus put His foot upon a stone, and the mark of the sole of His foot remained upon the stone, and the place became known as Bikha Isous (Isous means Jesus in the Coptic Language), that is to say the footprint of Jesus. I have been unable to locate this place which was mentioned by the Ethiopic and Coptic Synaxaria. It has been suggested that Basus may be a contraction of the name Bikha Isous, but it is most unlikely that Bikha Isous should be identified with the village of Basus which lies between Cairo and Qalyub, as stated by Amelineau. Dr. Murad Kamil suggests that Bikha Isous might be the town of Sakha, famous for its pillar on which St. Agathon the Stylite (seventh century) stood for fifty years. Sakha is situated in the province of Gharbiyah, about two kilometers south of Kafr al-Shaikh. This suggestion might be supported by pointing to a confusion of the Arabic orthography of the two names. Indeed, if the diacritical points were omitted, the Arabic word ligatures of Sakha and Bikha show distinct similarities. After Bikha Isous, the Holy Family traveled westwards and crossed the river, probably the Rosetta branch of the Nile. Continuing their journey, they saw from afar the Desert of Scetis, the Wadi El-Natrun, and Jesus blessed it and said to His Mother: "Know, O my Mother, that in this desert there shall lie many monks, ascetes and spiritual fighters, and they shall serve God like angels." Though there is no tradition to support it, the Holy Family would most probably have seen the Desert of Scetis from the town of Terranah, the ancient bishopric of Terenouti, fifteen kilometers north of al-Khatatba. Terranah, which is situated on the Rosetta branch of the Nile, is the town which is nearest to the Desert of Scetis, actually about forty kilometers from the Monastery of St. Macarius (Dair Abu Maqqar). Today, there are only four monasteries left in the Wadi El-Natrun, namely the Monastery of the Romans (Dair al-Baramus), the Monastery of the Syrians (Dair al-Surian), the Monastery of St. Pishoi (Dair Anba Bishoi) and the Monastery of St. Macarius, which is dedicated to the famous St. Macarius who is honoured among the founders of monasticism in both the East and the West. In 1986 there were about 320 monks occupying the four Wadi el-Natrun monasteries. [[ To be continued in the next issue of Copt-Net Newsletter ]] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- ANBA ABRAAM (1829-1914) The friend of the poor In the year 1893, he [the Bishop] had some trouble with his leg, that made the doctors decide to amputate it. When one of his spiritual children told him about that, he smiled as usual, and said: "God will not let that happen. I am sure that he will let them down!" After two months he was recovered completely, and went to the church, praising God. After he had spent 33 years, as a Bishop, in a rich deep fellowship with God, serving everybody sincerely, caring continually for the poor, using the gift of healing and exorcising of evil spirits, he was ill in bed for a month. People hurried to get his blessing, specially when they knew that he refused to call a doctor saying: "I'm flying to the Lord Jesus". And it happened on Thursday June 9, 1914 after sunset that our blessed father departed to paradise. Rev Fr. Mikhail Saad conveyed to us a simple image of the last moments of our father Anba Abraam before and after his departure. He formed it by the aid of some contemporaries who are still alive. The wife of Late Nassif Mahrous said that before his departure, he summoned some deacons, and asked them to pray the Psalms outside his room and not to open his door before half an hour. When they opened the door they found him resting in Christ. Mr. Makar El-Baranachawi said that Mr. Selim Saeb, the governor of Fayoum, called his wife and said to her: "Oh! It seems that the Bishop of the Christians had died ... Look at those horses and the people who are riding them, they are screaming: EQ'OUAB ... EQ'OUAB ...". Then he went out asking Mr. El-Baranachawi about the meaning of the word "EQ'OUAB". He told him that it means "Holy" and it is the hymn of the heavenly creatures. In the day of his death, all the people of Fayoum wept bitterly and many came from all the provinces of Egypt. Some estimated the people who attended the funeral to be about twenty five thousands. But the history of Anba Abraam has not ended. In every Egyptian house there is still a lot to be told about him, for he was really a God's loving man. Our father, Anba Abraam, departed from the world, but did not depart from the church, for his love had no end. Now, he is praying for us, with a wide heart, in Paradise! On June 10, 1964 the church celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his departure under the care of our beloved father the late Pope Anba Kyrillos VI in the great Cathedral of St. Mark in Cairo. The Holy Council of Bishops decided to add his name to the list of saints of the Holy Eucharist ... for the heart that can hold love for the whole church never stops loving even after this physical body is taken off, so that on the day of the Lord it would have that spiritual and imperishable body. May the blessing of our beloved father be with us. Amen. Source : Anba Abraam, the friend of the poor, St George Coptic Orthodox Church Sporting, Alexandria. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- The Coptic Encyclopedia (8 vols.) Aziz S. Atiya, ed. New York: Macmillan, 1991 The newly published Coptic Encyclopedia is an impressive work in many ways and, despite some unevenness, it will become a very useful tool for various disciplines related to Coptic studies in the broadest sense. Any decent library must get it. The editors have asked some of the best specialists in Coptic matters, from many countries, to write about 2800 entries, which they divide into four main categories: early Christian history, biographies of saints and other historical figures, art and architecture, and archaeology. Moreover, they have decided to give various aspects of the Coptic language more than 200 pages (400 columns) in the last volume, under the editorship of the Swiss Coptologist Rodolphe Kasser. Many of the entries are very rich, in both content and bibliography, and appear to represent the status quaestionis. Others are weaker, as is the case in any such collective enterprise, and/or of only tangential relevance to a Coptic encyclopedia. The editors have sought, and rightly so, to include in the work everything related to the history, the religion, and the material culture of Christians in Egypt, mainly from the first centuries when Coptic was spoken, side by side with Greek, but also from the Islamic period, when Christian literature begins to be written in Arabic, and up to contemporary issues, represented rather unevenly by some entries. Here, one would have wished for more details on the situation of the Copts today, but this is obviously a delicate issue, on which the editors might not have felt free to express themselves. Coptologists proper (linguists, such as Kasser, A. Shisha Halevy, or W.P. Funk, and philologists, for instance T. Orlandi and P. Nagel), students of Coptic art (P. du Bourguet, for instance), archaeologists (many entries, very detailed, are written by P. Grossmann on what seems to be most ancient Egyptian churches), scholars of Arabic Christian literature (Khalil Samir, S.J.), specialists of patristics and ecclesiastical history (A. Guillaumont and W. Frend, for instance) have all collaborated on the enterprise, for our benefit. The reader will find in these volumes many valuable details, such as the existence and location of manuscripts. Previously such information could be obtained only through much more intense effort, dispersed as the material is in many obscure publications known only by specialists. Reviewed by: Gedaliahu Guy Stroumsa Annenberg Research Institute 420 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 U.S.A. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- A Coptic Dictionary by W. E. Crum --------------------------------- Writing Coptic dictionaries started around the eleventh century by what was known as "alsalalem" ( le scala Copte ) as compared to "almoqademat" which where grammar books. These dictionaries were written in an attempt to preserve the Coptic language which was then decaying. Perhaps one the most famous dictionaries of this type is " alsollam alkabeer " written by "Alsheikh Alraees Abu Albarakat ibn Kabar" in the fourteenth century. It is worthy to note that these dictionaries were not written generally in an alphabetic order but sometimes grouped into chapters each contains the names of members of certain species as the names of the trees in a chapter, etc. For example, "alsollam Alkabeer" by " ibn Kabar " contained 30 of these chapters, however literally, it cannot be considered as large as its name may inspire knowing that it lies in about 200 pages. As for modern Coptic dictionaries, European scholars has done a great job in this direction. The landmark Coptic dictionaries of these are "Lexicon" by Peyron (1835) and "Handworterbuch" by Professor Spiegelberg of Berlin (1921). This dictionary gives the Hieroglyphic and Demotic etymology of the Coptic form. However, the most famous Coptic dictionary of all is that of W. E. Crum of Berlin in 1939. This one was also written in English as compared to the above mentioned dictionary of Spiegelberg written in German. This dictionary lies in 953 pages of large size and was made to match the famous Hieroglyphic "Worterbuch" dictionary. As W. E. Crum stated in the preface of this book, it took him 30 years to compile the dictionary with the help of many scholars and a generous grant from the Berlin Academy. Throughout these years, those scholars worked on the book and it was possible to retain the help of the German collaborators as well as those of the allied countries and the first edition appeared in 1939 in the midst of the war. However, one setback of this book is that it did not include element of etymology that is present in Spiegelberg's dictionary. Crum's dictionary was collected from texts, ostraca and inscriptions. The quantity of material used amounted to some 240,000 slips. The total recorded independent words - ignoring the countless derived forms - was 3308, whereof some 390 remain still of an unknown meaning, some of which are no doubt misread in the original sources: biblical, patristic and mundane. Some of the principal sources of W. E. Crum's dictionary were: (1) The 56 volumes of Fayoum bought in 1911 by Mr. Pierpont Morgan. It is a body of texts unparalleled for completeness, if not in variety. (2) The Paris collection, which is some 25 volumes of fragments. (3) A large number of leaves in the Borgian collection. (4) The Curzon manuscripts (now the property of the British museum) (5) The collections of the Berlin Library. (6) The collection acquired by the university of Michigan in the USA. Several dictionaries have been prepared since that time, but the degree of originality and work in W. E. Crum cannot be matched except may be by a dictionary which is currently being prepared by Switzerland and Holland that will include virtually all the dialects known of the Coptic language including the newly discovered dialect of "Bahnasa" that was sparked by the discovery of a complete text of the psalms book dating back to the second century, that was found beneath the head of a 12 year old girl's corpse in an old cemetery in Beni Sewef. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- Readers' Corner --------------- This corner of the Copt-Net Newsletter is dedicated to answering questions regarding the Christian faith and teachings in general and the Coptic Orthodox Church's beliefs and traditions in particular. As much as possible we will try to avoid using any terminology that will not be accessible to the common reader. Also, it must be noted that the opinions expressed here are those of members of Copt-Net Editorial board and do not (and should not be taken to be) the official opinion of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Readers' Corner of this issue addresses two questions. The first addresses the dependence of the Christian Sacraments on the priests who deliver them. The second addresses one of the many questions we received regarding the Holy Trinity. Comments and feedback are highly welcome. Question: -------- Like many other churches, The Holy sacraments of the Coptic Orthodox Church can only be offered to the congregation through an ordained priest. Does the unchristian behavior (misconduct, unorthodox faith, ... etc.) preclude the proper delivery of these sacraments? What about those sacraments offered while the congregation did not know of a priest's misbehavior? Answer: ------ The position of the Coptic Orthodox Church regarding this matter is actually identical to that of other churches, including the Catholic Church. As long as the priest has not been officially relieved of his duties, all the sacraments he performs are accepted. For instance, if a priest delivers the marriage sacrament for a Coptic couple, then even if later the priest is found to have been unfaithful to his duties and was relieved from priesthood, the marriages that he performed before leaving priesthood, are still recognized by the church. The Priest in the Coptic Orthodox Church is simply an individual who "delivers" the sacraments. The sacraments are not his. The position of the most churches regarding this point is actually based on early writings of Coptic scholars (before the Schism). See, these questions were popular back then as they are today. In particular, with heresies coming out of Priests and even Bishops, the question immediately poses itself: "What about all the sacraments performed by the priest/bishop who ended up being excommunicated?" This is why (at least as far as the Coptic Orthodox Church is involved), when a priest delivers a sacrament (say baptism), he always says "in the name of the one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I baptize you". Another example comes at the end of the Eucharist service, when the priest prays a special prayer asking that "his sins will not stand in the way of the delivery of the Eucharist". Question: -------- Do Christians believe in three gods or one? If they believe in one god, then what is the significance of the Trinity? Answer: ------ Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God said: ``My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'' [Isaiah 55:8-9]. God is infinite, man is finite, and there are mysteries about God that man cannot fully understand. One of these mysteries is the ``Trinity,'' the tri-personality of God. It defines God as ONE GOD in being, essence, power, and authority, but manifested as three distinct, co-eternal, co-equal Persons. These three Persons are the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that Christians believe in three gods (polytheism). Rather it is saying that there is only ONE God but that He has revealed Himself to the human race in three distinct characters (or persons). All of these three revelations are of the ONE God.. Understanding exactly how this union occurs is beyond human comprehension and has no human parallels -- although various analogies have been presented. One such analogy is the three physical states of water. In this analogy, water is shown to be not only liquid, but also a solid (ice) and a gas (vapor). Yet its chemical composition (i.e. substance or being) never changes in all three forms (2 parts Hydrogen and one part Oxygen). The form of water is simply how it is presented to us.. How we can feel it and comprehend its existence. Although such an analogy helps to explain the concept of the Trinity, it falls short of aiding us in comprehending just how God can be manifested as triune. In the water analogy, although water can be liquid, solid or gas, water is not in all three states ALL the time. In the Trinity, on the other hand, all three manifestations of the ONE God can be felt and are co-existent at any point in time. The following hypothetical story demonstrates what Christians mean by the three Characters of the Trinity.. Adam and Eve are hard-working employees of a company called ``WorldWide Inc''. When they joined this company, they heard a lot about its founder and owner, Mr. Great.. Everybody in the company spoke of Mr. Great and his incredible capacities and how he managed to start this incredibly successful venture from nothing. Everybody feared Mr. Great because he represented the ultimate authority: a word of his would be enough to hire or fire! Nevertheless he was fair. Nobody has really seen or even had the courage to find Mr. Great. Only a select group of representatives from WorldWide Inc were given the chance to communicate with Mr. Great. Every now and then, some of these representatives would simply forward Mr. Great's orders regarding the management of WorldWide Inc to all employees. Everybody simply listened and acted accordingly.. Well, one day, while on a lunch break, Adam and Eve ran into a very meek and humble young man, who introduced himself as Mr. Love. This individual was so sweet that Adam and Eve loved his company and asked him to spend some time with them. During that time they ate and drank; they talked about almost everything, even about the incredibly powerful Mr. Great.. As a matter of fact, Mr. Love explained many of the orders that were given by Mr. Great and which didn't make any sense to Adam and Eve. For example, Mr. Love explained that while Mr. Great ordered his employees to observe the law to the letter, it was much better to follow the spirit of the law. So, while an eye-for-eye is OK, loving even one's enemy is far better! At the end of Mr. Love's stay with Adam and Eve, he revealed to them a secret.. That he is nobody other than Mr. Great! Love was simply his middle name! So, Mr. Great Love departed but he promised that he will empower both Adam and Eve with his Spirit, which they should call on to help them and act on their behalf. In the above story, Adam and Eve got introduced to three quite different aspects of the same being: the authority and might of the founder and owner of their WorldWide Inc, his love and understanding, and his will and power.. When Adam and Eve want to think about this being, they will envision and address one of his three distinct characters. But these three characters are only projections or revelations of the same individual being. The word ``Trinity'' is not used in Scripture to define the doctrine of the Trinity. Rather it is a word theologians have adopted to summarize a concept. Difficult as it is to understand, the Bible explicitly teaches the doctrine of the Trinity, and it deserves to be explained as clearly as possible, especially to non-Christians who find the concept a ``stumbling-block'' to belief that Jesus is God and that the Holy Spirit is God acting in His Church. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This Newsletter has been prepared by members of Copt-Net, a forum _|_ where news, activities, and services of the Coptic Orthodox Churches | and Coptic communities outside Egypt are coordinated and exchanged. | For any questions, or comments related to this Newsletter, as well as COP|NET any topics that you would like to be addressed in the next Newsletter please send a message to Copt-Net server at: cn-request@pharos.bu.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------