BE THOU THERE: The Holy Family's Journey in Egypt

This unique coffee-table offering uses text, illustrations and photographs to chronicle the possible journey of Jesus and his parents when they fled to Egypt, escaping Herod's death sentence for male children under the age of two. Although the Bible is virtually silent about this topic, Coptic literature and traditions are replete with tales of the holy family's sojourn in Egypt. Their travel "itinerary" has become a sacred pilgrimage route for many Coptic Christians, who visit holy sites and enjoy longstanding local festivals along the way. This book does not attempt to verify or disprove the legends of 2,000 years ago, but presents an informative discussion of the persistence of those legends and their importance to Coptic Christianity. (Oct.)