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From Monasticism to White House

© Arnvid Aakre

The Holy Family's travel in Egypt - part 2



Part 1; "A Travel Consultant with Wings"

In the first article we left the "Holy" Donkey with the Holy Family in today's Al Arish at Sinai north coast - only because I called the donkey "Buuuh". Good name suggestions came forward and now we know that Suite101 members have given the holy donkey the official name "Baby-lon". Nameless for 2000 years, can't you just imagine how happy Baby-lon is now?

Back to Al Arish where the Holy Family and Baby-lon passed the Roman soldiers at the fortress that protected the even then antique "Way of Horus". The main entry gate to Egypt from east.

Night turned day and the day went dark again in front of them many a time. On and on they traveled, guided by the advice of the winged travel advisor. At the north west edge of Sinai they passed Al-Kantara and could at last salute the river Nile. Part of the Nile that is, as the flood so far north (down) already had been divided into branches and had created a green delta (see map - click on your right mouse button and open in a new window).

In the eastern Delta they passed the city Tell Basta. When the Holy Family came here, it was likely the Greek name Bubastis that was still in use (only thirty years after the Greek / Macedonian Cleopatra VII was concurred by the Roman Empire), but the original Egyptian name was Per Bastet that is translated to "House of Bastet".

Aha - someone thinks now - at least many of those with affection for cats will know that this was the place for the main temple of the Cat goddess Bastet. The Greek historian Herodotos tell us from his journey to Egypt some hundred years before year zero, that it was the death penalty for killing a cat. Still, remember that this was in a time where the ancient religion and culture was on its "way down" - as it was hardly the cat or any other animal that originally was worshipped, but from what we can read, more likely the concept or quality of each animal.

The height of this religion was already part of antiquity when the Holy Family passed the temple of Bastet and the small Jesus child was most likely most impressed with the cats themselves in this, the true cat capital of the ancient world.

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