How Long Did the Holy Family Stay in Egypt? History and Traditions

The Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt - the most spiritually, historically and culturally significant of all ancient stories. Mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew, the journey of Saint Joseph, Virgin Mother Mary and little Jesus from Bethlehem to the Nile Valley has been interpreted in countless of ways by theologians, historians, apocryphal writers and tradition-bearers.

Despite being one of the most well-known narratives in Scripture, the flight into Egypt raises one particular question that has been subject of heated controversy for centuries - how long did the Holy Family stay in Egypt?

To answer this question, one has to consider biblical, Coptic, apocryphal and modern historical accounts. This is a complete chronological & traditional guide to the length of the visit and the journey of the Holy Family in ancient Egypt:

1. The Biblical Story and Scripture References

The main source of information about the journey of the Holy Family comes from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2.

The Gospel tells us that an Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him: "Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him" (verse 13). Joseph obeyed the Angel and, during the night, took the child and his mother away to Egypt. When King Herod died, the Angel came to Egypt, appeared to Joseph and told him to take the child back to the Land of Israel (verse 19-20).

Notably, the Gospel does not mention how long the family had to stay in Egypt. What the Gospel does say, is that the reason for the Holy Family to stay in Egypt was King Herod. The Gospel also mentions Hosea 11:1: "Out of Egypt I called my son," when Jesus returns to Nazareth ("And he shall call them out of Egypt") - which might hint at a short stay in Egypt.

The only way to calculate the time period based on the Bible is to match the time of King Herod's death. Most modern historians and biblical scholars believe that King Herod the Great died in 4 BC (some say 1 BC).

Jesus is most likely to have been born between 6 BC and 4 BC. Which means, that depending on the time of the Magi's arrival and the flight into Egypt, the length of the stay in Egypt varies from a couple of months, to three or four years.

2. Coptic Tradition of the Holy Family in Egypt

In addition to the biblical accounts, there is a popular tradition in Egypt regarding how long the Holy Family stayed in Egypt. More specifically, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria has a great variety of writings, sermons, visions, dreams and chronicles on this subject. Especially the 23rd Pope of Alexandria Theophilus (385-412 AD) and the Synaxarium (the book of Coptic saints) contain a great deal of information about the length of the Holy Family's journey and time spent in Egypt.

According to the Coptic tradition, the length of the journey of the Holy Family across Egypt is three years and eleven months (approximately four years).

The Vision of Pope Theophilus

Pope Theophilus is also known for his "Vision", which tells exactly how long the stay of the Holy Family in Egypt was and describes in detail their journey, places of call, miracles and signs.

According to the Vision, the Holy Family spent the night in Mostorod, where Jesus drew water from a spring. They then passed through more than twenty-five caves, deserts, cities and towns from the Delta to Upper Egypt. Eventually, they arrived at Mount Qosqam (where Deir El-Muharraq is today in Assiut). There they spent six months and ten days in a small mud-brick room (the longest stay) in a room six cubits long and three cubits wide (approximately modern meters). It was in this room that the Angel appeared to Joseph to tell him that Herod was dead and the family should return to Galilee.

3. Alternative Biblical, Coptic and Other Beliefs

Throughout history, many different beliefs and theories about how long Jesus was in Egypt were formed and recorded by various historians and theologians. Some of the most notable ones are:

Short Stay Beliefs (A few months to one year): Some early Church Fathers thought that King Herod died soon after ordering the Massacre of the Innocents. Which would explain why Joseph and Mary only stayed in Egypt for a few months or about a year.

Medium Length Stay Beliefs (Two to three years): Church Fathers such as Eusebius of Caesarea and Epiphanius of Salamis believed that Jesus was about two to three years old when Joseph took him to Egypt.

Long Stay Beliefs (Five to seven years): There are also beliefs that Jesus spent five to seven years in Egypt. Especially the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew describe numerous miraculous events that Jesus performed in Egypt, implying that he had been in Egypt for quite a long time already. Some stories even suggest that Jesus walked long distances on his own when he was old enough.

4. Map of the Stay in Egypt - Duration Across Egypt

The journey was not direct. The Holy Family had to pass through dozens of caves and hundreds of desert villages to avoid Herod's soldiers. The length of stay in different localities varied, as illustrated by the following:

Sinai and Delta (A few weeks): Having passed through Farma (Pelusium), Mostorod (where Jesus brought forth a spring) and Tel Basta (where the idols fell), the Holy Family fled quickly to the South. Wadi El-Natrun: Before heading to the South, the family visited the desert of Wadi El-Natrun - the area would become the home of Christian coenobites in the 4th century AD and the origin of several monastic cells. Old Cairo / Babylon (Several weeks): The Holy Family found shelter in a cave at Old Cairo, from where the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus (Abu Serga) was built. Middle Egypt / Minya (Several months): They then traveled by boat and on foot to Minya, where they rested in Gabal El-Teir (The Mountain of the Birds) and El-Ashmunein. Upper Egypt / Assiut (6 Months and 10 Days): The Holy Family arrived at Mount Qosqam (Deir El-Muharraq) and stayed there for over half a year in a small mud-brick room (their longest stay). From Assiut, they went to Mount Dronka (the northernmost point of their journey).

5. Modern Travel Tips and Recommendations

Visitors and modern-day pilgrims to Egypt can view the places visited by the Holy Family and learn about the length of the journey by visiting:

The Best Time to Visit: October to April to avoid extreme summer heat.

Holy Family Holidays: The Coptic Church celebrates the Entry of Our Lady, Jesus and St. Joseph into Egypt every year on June 1 (24 Bashans).