Dig in Egypt Uncovers Early Christian Town
An archeological team working near the Giza Pyramids has discovered the remains of one of Egypt’s earliest Coptic communities--a find expected to provide historians with a wealth of information on the daily life of the early Christians.
The settlement, complete with mud-brick houses and well-manicured streets, dates to the first centuries after Christ. It lies on a hillside about two miles from the Sphinx.
“This is one of the few ancient Coptic settlements we have,” said Dr. Gawdat Gabra, director of Cairo’s Coptic Museum. A handful of Coptic ruins dating to the same period have been unearthed near ancient monasteries and hermitages. But most settlements have been destroyed by archeologists digging for gold and artifacts from the period of the Pharaohs.
“This is scientific digging,” said Gabra. “We have relics in place.”
The Copts, who now number 7 million, were one of the earliest Christian sects with roots dating to St. Mark’s arrival in Egypt in the first century AD.
To date, excavators from the Egyptian Antiquities Organization have uncovered nine houses, winding along three major thoroughfares. The dwellings are similar to dwellings in Egyptian villages today.
Gabra said the find is extremely important because it gives a glimpse into the daily life of early Christians.
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