Faces: People, Places, and Cultures articles from November 2002

Faces: People, Places, and Cultures archives from November 2002

Editor's message.
November 1, 2002... Dear Reader, Christianity was introduced to Egypt in the 1st century A.D. The apostle Mark is credited with founding the Coptic Church. Through the years, Christians became a minority in Egypt, and today there are about six million Copts...

Coptic Egypt. (At a Glance).
November 1, 2002... Location: Most Copts live in Upper and Middle Egypt around the city of Asyut. Large communities are also found in Luxor, Cairo, and Alexandria. Population: 6 million (10.2 million worldwide) Languages: Arabic, Coptic Patron Saint:...

Ancient Alexandria. (Only In ...).
November 1, 2002... When Julius Caesar invaded the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 42 B.C., the Library of Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina) was among the many battle victims. Thousands of precious manuscripts, making up the world's largest collection of...

Who are the Copts?
November 1, 2002... They may look like Muslims, speak like Muslims, and dress like Muslims, but the Copts are Christians who live in Egypt--a Muslim country. According to early legends, Egyptian Christianity began with a visit from the apostle Mark in the 1st...

The Copts. (Through Time).
November 1, 2002... 3050 B.C. King Mina unites north and south Egypt, and for 3,000 years, pharaohs rule the land. 664-525 B.C. Many people from Greece immigrate to Egypt. Arts and Education flourish during this period, which is called the Hellenic Era. ...

Marking time: according to the Coptic calendar.
November 1, 2002... Do you know what calendar we use? In 1752, Great Britain and the American colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, first introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 as a revision of the earlier Julian calendar. It is based 365 days in a year, plus...

Coptic Monasticism: the wonder of ancient Christianity.
November 1, 2002... One of the most important contributions that the Copts made to Christianity was the practice of monasticism. Monasticism is a way of life in which people give up their belongings and right to marry and live in seclusion from the world in order...

The Coptic Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia.
November 1, 2002... In the late 12th century, a prince was born in Roha, a town that today is known as Lalibela. The youngest son of the royal Zagure dynasty, northern Ethiopia's ruling power, he was next in line to the throne. Not long after his birth, his mother...

Timkat the ceremony of Epiphany.
November 1, 2002... The quiet village of Lalibela is transformed into a noisy, bustling place as tens of thousands of pilgrims, both young and old, arrive there in mid-January each year. They come to participate in the age-old rituals of Timkat, or Epiphany. Some...

Ancient Coptic art.
November 1, 2002... Ancient Coptic art is the Christian art of Egypt beginning in the 2nd century. Coptic art includes a full range of expression, as there was no distinction between "fine arts," such as painting, and crafts. Some of the most notable surviving...

Tracing the origins of Coptic music.
November 1, 2002... Musical detectives have been tracking the origins of Coptic music for a century and a half, tracing it to the music of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. However, many questions remain unanswered. Why? Because the Copts never wrote down their...

Why Copts use blind cantors.
November 1, 2002... Will Durant in his Story of Civilization tells this story about how the ancient Egyptians respected the power of memory. The god Thoth came to King Thamos, full of his great discovery--writing. With writing, the Egyptians would be able to...

Coptic bookbinding.
November 1, 2002... Long before the invention of the printing press and bookbinding machines, books were crafted individually by hand. The Copts' influence on the craft of bookbinding gave rise to many techniques still used today. Their bindings date to the 4th...

Paradise of the desert fathers.
November 1, 2002... St. Macarius Monastery stands in the Egyptian desert about 65 miles west of Cairo. The Coptic monks who occupy its cells have continued to pass down the teachings of their desert father, the hermit Macarius, since the 4th century. ...

Patience. (Letters).
November 1, 2002... Patience Locked up for so long Waiting for the day to come When all would burst open And I would be set free. To get this freedom I had to wait To become beautiful. I had to wait. It was sometimes...

The Beach. (Letters).
November 1, 2002... The Beach Going to the beach anytime, Jumping over giant, strong waves. Big, fast boats splashing, Dangerously coming close. Beating people to the best shells, Digging deep in the holes. Collecting shells,...

Face facts.
November 1, 2002... MARK THE APOSTLE WAS THE FOUNDER OF COPTIC CHRISTIANITY IN EGYPT. HIS SYMBOL IS THE WINGED LION.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali: world citizen.
November 1, 2002... "Peter Precious." Doesn't that sound like a mother's fond nickname for a favorite son? However, it was not his mother, but his international law students who bestowed the name on Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Peter Precious is a direct translation of...

Besa, my monk: a story of Coptic Egypt.
November 1, 2002... I wish Apa ("Father") a healthy day in the field. "I wish the same for you," he says. He hands me a bag of food and a water skin. For the last six moons, I have been old enough to tend the goats while Apa hoes and harvests our lentils....

Egypt.
November 1, 2002... by Ann Heinrichs This book provides a broad overview of life in contemporary Egypt, including details about geography, the economy, history, city life, festivals, government, and entertainment. Information on Coptic life is sprinkled...

Fiesta! Egypt.
November 1, 2002... by Christine Rodenbeck What better way to under stand people than to learn about their favorite festivals and traditions? This book in the Fiesta! series includes an overview of Egypt and its religions, as well as a brief introduction to...

Adventures in Ancient Egypt.
November 1, 2002... by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin The Binkerton twins are bored on their summer vacation. That is, until their little sister Libby leads them into the Good Times Travel Agency, which offers curious tours to the most unusual...

The Story of Clocks and Calendars: Marking a Millennium.
November 1, 2002... by Betsy Maestro, illustrated by Giulio Maestro How do we know what time it is? We have marked time on sticks and rocks, using stars and sundials. And according to our most commonly used calendar, we have celebrated the year 2000. But on...

The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.
November 1, 2002... by James Cross Giblin If you like unlocking codes, the story of this puzzle will interest you. In 1799, French soldiers tearing down a ruined wall in an old Egyptian fort found a mysterious stone tablet with writing in three languages on...

Coptic Egypt: History and Guide.
November 1, 2002... by Jill Kamil This small reference book provides an extensive array of information about the lives of Orthodox Egyptian Christians. The chapter on early Christianity provides historical context, including an overview of Coptic spiritual...

On-line.
November 1, 2002... U.S. Copts Association This nonprofit organization represents more than half a million Americans of Egyptian Christian descent. Their politically oriented Web site explains their goals and mission, and is filled with Copts-related news...

Think about it ...
November 1, 2002... * You learned about many Coptic traditions and customs in "Who Are the Copts?" Think about traditions and customs you follow as part of your religion or heritage. How are they similar or different from Coptic customs? * In "Besa, My Monk:...