Chasuu

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Chasuu in hieroglyphics
M12 A. Aa18 Z1 V1
Z4 		V1
Z4 		N35A N36
N23 		O49

Chasuu
Ḫ3sww
Greek Ξόις (Xois)

Chasuu (also Chaset or ancient Egyptian: Chasut , Greek  Ξόις Xois ), today's Sacha ( Arabic سخا, DMG Saḫā ) or Kafr El-Shaikh , was the ancient Egyptian name of a city in the sixth Lower Egyptian district, also known as Bergstiergau.

location

Chasuu (Egypt)
Chasuu
Chasuu
Location of Chasuu

The place was located on an island in the center of the Nile Delta between the Sebennytic and Phatnian arms of the Nile. Champollion identified the remains of the city in today's Sakha settlement a few kilometers south of Kafr el-Sheikh .

history

The city was possibly already in the Old Kingdom , during the reign of Sneferu 's capital of a lower Egyptian district, which is already mentioned on a list of the high official Metjen at this time. Later, when the Middle Kingdom fell and Egypt was divided, Chasuu became the residence and capital of the Lower Egyptian 14th Dynasty , about which little is known today.

In the Middle Kingdom, the city had independence, Manetho names 76 kings of Xois in the 14th dynasty.

In the Hellenistic period, Xois was an important city and capital of the 6th Egyptian district. This is how it was described by the Greek geographer Strabo and others. There were still significant remains of the Ptolemaic and Roman times, of which only parts of a chapel and a sphinx, the head of which was lost, have been preserved.

According to tradition, Sacha was a station on the escape route of the Holy Family to Egypt. In 1984 the “Bicha Isous”, the footprint of Jesus, was found here. The light gray, about 80 cm long stone contains the imprint on the front and the Arabic word "Allah" for God on the back.

In the 7th century Sacha was known for the asceticism of St. Agathon the pillar saint, he was the only one of his kind in Egypt and is said to have lived here on a pillar for 50 years. The Bishop Zacharia of Sachā in the 7th / 8th centuries. Century is one of the most important sons of this city. His sermons and histories, such as B. the life descriptions of Johannes Colobos (the little one) and Anba Abraham are among the most important of the Coptic literature.

Gods

The city had a local god Uto as well as the god Re . In the list of the judge deities of the judgment of the dead in the Egyptian Book of the Dead , the 22nd judge of the dead is assigned to the city of Xois as the " subversive ". He watches over the commission of wrongdoings as a crime to be judged .

Attractions

Today's Church of St. The Virgin Mary is located on the site of the former El-Maghtas Monastery (31 ° 5 ′ 21 ″ N 30 ° 56 ′ 52 ″ E), Arabic: دير المغطس, Dair al-Maghṭas, and dates from the 19th century. The south wall of today's church is the only remnant of this monastery. The three-aisled church has three Holy of Holies behind the icon wall. They are for St. George , for St. Virgin and destined for the Archangel Michael . Modern icons hang on the walls. In the south-east corner of the church valuable belongings of the church are exhibited in showcases, including the relic of Amba Zacharias from the 7th century, bones of Amba Taklā from Alexandria or from Achmim, a relic of St. George as well as silver vessels and stone objects. On the west side of the church is the relic of Amba Sāwīrūs el-Anṭākī. In the baptismal font near the entrance, St. Dimyāna have been baptized.

Footprint of jesus

Reliquary in the Church of St. Virgin Mary of Sacha

The relics include the "Bicha Isous", the footprint of Jesus or the footprint of the Lord .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Strabo 17, 1, 19; Ptolemy 4, 5, 50; Ξόης: Stephanos Byzantios s.v.

Coordinates: 31 ° 5 '  N , 30 ° 57'  E