The Holy Family came to Belbeis from the east, coming from Al-Mahama (now the old Mahama).
Belbeis is located in the Al-Sharkia Governorate, 20 km from the city of Zagazig and 55 km from Cairo.
The Belbeis area has historical roots in the Bible, as it was part of the land of Goshen in which the children of Israel resided and lived. In the Pharaonic era, it was known as “Barbes” (the house of the god Bes-al-Qott). In the Pharaonic era, it was a major city whose land was characterized by fertility, and therefore it was a suitable land for the children of Israel to live in.
The local tradition tells us that the Holy Family took shelter under a tree outside the city (it was called Mary’s tree) that has been standing for centuries.
It was also mentioned in Bishop Zacharias’ sermon that when the Holy Family approached Belbeis, there was a funeral of a mother’s only son, and the people of the city were all in great sorrow for this dead boy. When the Lord Christ saw this, he rebuked the dead boy, saying: I say to you, get up from this coffin, O sleeper. Immediately then, the boy rose and prostrated to Christ, saying: This is the true God, the Savior of the world. As for the citizens, when they saw this great miracle, they were astonished, so the Holy Family rose quickly and went towards the Nile (Damietta branch now) and walked along the river until they reached Samanoud. On their way, the Holy Family crossed Itrib (Benha currently), then they went to Dakados.
The city of Belbeis remained the seat of the episcopate until the 13th century.
