The Flight to Egypt-joseph and Mary

The Gospel of Matthew is the only one to mentionmighty pharaoh, Ramses II, who reigned in 3,000 BC
the flight to Egypt made by Joseph and Mary withfor 66 years, sired 90 children and carved his name
the infant Jesus, or to recall the Old Testamentonto more colossal buildings than any other pharaoh
verse "Out of Egypt have I called my Son". He wasbefore or after him.
referring to the prophecy made in the Book ofHe ordered the Children of Israel to be enslaved and
Hosea 11:1.put them to work constructing Egypt's great cities.
Their journey crossing THE SINAI DESERT down toFearful of their numbers he ordered the sons of the
Egypt, and their time in exile there, followed in theHebrews to be killed. One babe, however, was saved
path of a tradition that goes back to the very rootsand set afloat in the Nile. Rescued by the daughter of
of the Bible.Pharaoh she brought the child up as her own. This
The Old Testament book of Genesis tells of thewas child was Moses, who grew up as a prince of
journey the Patriarch Abraham made down to Egypt.Egypt but eventually set his people free, leading
He arrived in Canaan, still called Abram, and wasthem on the Exodus out of bondage and back to the
promised the land by God: "Abram journeyed, goingPromised Land.
on still toward the South. And there was a famine inThe Sinai Desert is a 24,000 square mile land-bridge
the land: and Abram went down into Egypt tolinking Africa with Asia. This wedge-shaped peninsula
sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in thethrusts itself into the Red Sea creating the Gulfs of
Land". Genesis 12:9-10.Suez to the southwest and Aqaba to the southeast.
Abraham's great-grandson Joseph, famous for hisTo the north it is bound by the Mediterranean Sea.
coat of many colours, was sold by his brothers andIts sparkling blue waters and long stretches of the
taken as a slave into Egypt. By accuratelybright yellow sand give the Sinai some of the most
interpreting the Pharaoh's dreams he eventually rosemagnificent beaches in the region. Many of these,
to become the most powerful man in the land afterespecially along the Gulf shore at Ras Muhammed and
the king himself.Ras Burkar, are famed as among the finest coral
Later, when famine again struck Canaan, Joseph'sreefs in the world.
brothers also went down to Egypt. And so theThe savage beauty of the Sinai Desert is a mixture
Children of Israel came to dwell in Egypt, where theyof bare craggy mountains, dry rocky valleys and
multiplied through the generations until "there arose aendlessly shifting sand dunes. It is here, in the Sinai
new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph".Desert, that God taught His people to trust in His
It is generally believed that this would have been thecare and provision.