by Lewis Loflin
Church tradition holds that Christianity was brought to Egypt by the Apostle Saint Mark in the early first century AD. Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, in his *Ecclesiastic History* (2.16), states that Saint Mark first came to Egypt between AD 41 and 44, during Emperor Claudius’ reign, and returned to Alexandria around AD 61-64 to preach and evangelize. Tradition names Anianus, a shoemaker, as Mark’s first convert in Alexandria, later consecrated as bishop and Patriarch after Mark’s martyrdom in AD 68.
This succession of Patriarchs has continued unbroken to the present, making the Egyptian Christian, or Coptic, Church one of the oldest Christian churches. Evidence includes some of the earliest Biblical papyri, written in Coptic script, found in Upper Egypt. These date to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD, predating Constantine’s commissioned Greek Bibles of AD 331.
Before Christianity, Egyptians were deeply religious, and many embraced the new faith after Roman rule (30 BC onward) disrupted their ancient beliefs, ending the god-king Pharaohs’ era. Concepts like a god’s death and resurrection, judgment of souls, and an afterlife for the faithful, familiar from Osiris myths, eased this transition. The flight of Jesus to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15) also fostered pride among Egyptian Christians, helping maintain aspects of their identity under Roman dominion.
The ankh, an Egyptian symbol of eternal life, resembles the Coptic cross, both representing eternal life, suggesting cultural continuity. Through Christianity, Egyptian traditions adapted to Roman rule.
Early Christianity in Egypt faced challenges from Greco-Roman polytheism and Hellenistic philosophy, particularly in Alexandria. To address this, Christian leaders founded the Didascalia, a catechetical school in Alexandria, around the late 2nd century AD. Led initially by Pantaenus, it trained scholars like Clement and Origen to engage Hellenistic critics with intellectual rigor.
The Didascalia became a center of Christian thought, shaping theology and dogma. Pantaenus promoted Greek over Demotic script for Biblical translations and writings, educating many converts in Greek and broadening access to Christian teachings, though primarily among the literate elite.
Roman persecution posed the greatest threat. Emperor Nero’s actions in AD 64, around Saint Peter’s martyrdom, set a precedent, targeting Christians solely for their faith, not specific crimes. A pardon could be gained by offering incense to Roman gods, but many refused, citing exclusive devotion to one God.
Refusal led to imprisonment, torture, execution, or death by wild animals in arenas. These acts, rather than deterring Christians, often strengthened their resolve, inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:10-12. Martyrs, meaning "witnesses," became celebrated figures.
First-century persecution was state-driven, but by the 2nd and early 3rd centuries, local mobs took over as imperial focus lessened at times. Emperors Decius (AD 249-251) and Diocletian (AD 303-313) revived systematic persecution, yet Christianity grew, reaching high society.
In Egypt, some Christians built churches openly, defying Roman suppression, though most worship remained discreet. Diocletian’s Great Persecution (AD 303-304) was severe, and the Coptic Church dates its Calendar of Martyrs from AD 284, marking his reign’s onset. Despite this, Christianity spread to Fayoum by AD 257 via Anba Dionysius and to the Thebaid by AD 260.
In AD 306, Constantine became a co-emperor in the Roman Tetrarchy, ruling the West. One of his first acts was to end Christian persecution in Gaul, Spain, and Britain. His mother’s possible Christianity may have influenced this stance. In AD 311, Eastern Augustus Galerius issued an edict of toleration, halting persecution in Greece, but Maximinus Daia intensified it in Egypt.
Before the Battle of Milvian Bridge (AD 312), tradition holds that Constantine, facing steep odds, prayed as a Christian and won, adopting the Chi-Rho symbol for his standard. He later unified the West, remaining unbaptized until his deathbed in AD 337.
In AD 313, Constantine and Eastern Augustus Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, promoting religious tolerance empire-wide, allowing Christians to own property and build churches. Christianity became the state religion later under Theodosius I in AD 380.
Maximinus Daia, resisting this shift, marched against Licinius in AD 313. Licinius, praying with his army in Christian fashion, defeated him, extending tolerance to Egypt and ending persecution there.
Constantine grew involved in church affairs, aiming for unity. In AD 325, he convened the Council of Nicaea to address Arianism, attended by bishops mostly from Egypt and Greece, with some from Rome. Calling himself "bishop of external things," he sought harmony. The Nicene Creed, composed with significant input from Egyptian deacon Athanasius (later Patriarch), emerged as a unifying statement, still used today.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article, adapting content originally from http://www.interoz.com/egypt/chiste1.htm (now unavailable). The final edits and perspective are my own.
