The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt [vol. 2]

Volume 2 of 2. The aim of this book is to make a systematic beginning upon a great subject: the Christian antiquities of Egypt. No doubt the attention of mere travelers has been bewitched and fascinated by the colossal remains of pagan times, by the temples and pyramids which still glow in eternal sunshine, while the Christian churches lie buried in the gloom of fortress walls, or encircled and masked by almost impassable deserts. Yet the Copts of to-day, whose very name is an echo of the word Egypt, trace back their lineage to the ancient Egyptians who built the pyramids, and the ancient tongue is spoken at every Coptic mass: the Copts were among the first to welcome the tidings of the gospel, to make a rule of life and worship, and to erect religious buildings: they have upheld the cross unwaveringly through ages of desperate persecution: and their ritual now is less changed than that of any other community in Christendom. Recommended to churchman, historian, or antiquarian.