Egypt
A place in the Bible
A large country south of the Holy Land, along the Nile River. The Holy Family fled to Egypt when Jesus was a child.
What happened here
- The flight: an angel told Joseph in a dream to take the child and his mother to Egypt, because Herod was searching for the child to kill him. They stayed there until Herod died.
- Joseph, the son of Jacob: his brothers sold him, and he was taken to Egypt. Years later, Pharaoh put him in charge of the whole country.
- Jacob and his family: when he was old, Jacob went to live in Egypt with his whole family.
- Moses: God sent him to Pharaoh to bring his people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.
Today
It is still a country, Egypt, in North Africa.
Where it appears in the Bible
Matthew 2:13-15; Genesis 39:1; Genesis 41:41; Genesis 46:6; Exodus 3:10
What the Bible says
Matthew 2:13-15
13And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. 14Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: 15That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Genesis 39:1
And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar an eunuch of Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ismaelites, by whom he was brought.
Genesis 41:41
And again Pharao said to Joseph: Behold, I have appointed thee over the whole land of Egypt.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Egypt”