Seminar 2 - The Birth of Jesus Christ

Flight to Egypt

There are many unsolved mysteries about the "silent childhood years" of Jesus. Though we have no authoritative sources from which to glean information about the life and times of Jesus during those years we do have "apocryphal books" which add to our storehouse of knowledge and speculation. (Particularly the Gospel of Thomas.) The apocryphal books are not Divinely inspired, nor are they to be relied on as accurate. Many are so foolish as to render them fables or fantasies of medieval minds. Yet there are elements of truth that predate the documents themselves. Such is the case with the time the holy family spent in Egypt.

The Coptic Church, that is the church in Egypt, maintains legends of the Christ family's arrival, travel, and adventures in Egypt. Again it is not authoritative but at best it sheds some historical light on the fact that Jesus' family did spend at least 2 years in Egypt. The Bible declares it. It is even in fulfillment of prophetic word - "Out of Egypt have I called my Son." (Matthew 2:15)( Hosea 11 : 1) "Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will totter at His Presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in the midst of it." (Isaiah 19:1)

This same message concerning the Messiah's sojourn in Egypt was also delivered through Isaiah "Blessed be Egypt, My people " (Isaiah 19:25). It was an anticipation of the coming of St. Mark to the country, where the Gospel took firm root in the first decades of Christianity. For Isaiah goes on to prophecy, "In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt; and a Pillar to the Lord, at its border. And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt." (Isaiah 19:19-20)

Isaiah 19:18-25
18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.
19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. 20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. 21 And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. 22 And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. 23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: 25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

We know for certain that "The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and said: "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young Child’s life." (Matthew 2:20) A curious researcher will ask, 'I wonder where that took place in Egypt?' The Coptic Church claims to have the answer on historical evidence that it was "at the very spot where Al-Muharraq Monastery stands." Which the Coptic church calls the "Second Bethlehem."

It would do well for the student of the word and history to at least be familiar with these legends, whose oral traditions date back to the first century.