Wadi Natron is the center of Coptic Monasticism in Egypt and one of, if not the, earliest homes to Christianity. The name means "Valley of Natron" or "Valley of the minerals." Natron salts were used for the preparation of mummies during the pharaonic period.
Christianity was brought to the valley by St. Mark during the first century C.E.
A few weeks ago I went with my dear friend, Emil Shaker, and his family to visit the area. Because Emil’s cousin is well known to the priests we were allowed into the inner part of the monastery and grounds. We spent the entire day there and saw the communion service. It was incredible.
Here’s a great book on Coptic Christianity in Egypt. Otto Meinardus is the pretty much the greatest living expert on the subject and he’s mainstay of the Coptic portion of my library.
And here’s a video from the communion service:
Coptic Liturgy at the Cathedral of Deir Anba Bishoy from Spirit Quest on Vimeo.
The Cathedral of Deir Anba Bishoy in Wadi Natrun.
A Coptic priest performs a portion of the liturgy during preparations for the communion service.
This was part of the “transubstantiation” as the wine and bread are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. The big “bundle” in the center of the altar contains the bread and wine.
The Coptic language is as close as we can come to hearing the sound of the ancient Egyptian language.
Hand held, unedited clip.
This church is beautiful. I couldn’t help noticing that everything is round. It makes it look so soft and inviting. Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing this.
Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby
You’re right – not only is the architecture all round and easy and inviting – the religious iconography has a similar quality to it. Jesus, Mary, the Apostles & Saints are all these big eyed weeble-manga hybrids that are just so cute, open & welcoming. It’s quite fascinating. No suffering emaciated Jesus, no Satan, demons or the wages of sin – just these smiling, open, beatific faces that compliment the architecture in a beautiful way.
Add in the truly ancient, exotic feel of the ceremony and the sound of the Coptic language (as close as we can get to the sound of ancient Egyptian) and it all adds up to wonderful spiritual experience. I truly loved and feel very blessed to have been able to experience it the way that I did: authentically and with no tourists around (indeed, I was the only westerner in sight). It was frickin’ cool!
Is your god Creator? My God says this — 6:3 And the LORD said: ‘My spirit shall not abide in man for ever for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.’