The Holy Family fled from the city of Basta, after the idols were destroyed in front of Jesus Christ, with the help of Klum, who guided them to flee to the east in a deserted place so that no one would find them.
Anba Zacharias’ sermon mentions that the Holy Family escaped from Basta to a deserted place, and there the Holy Family bathed Jesus and washed his clothes. That is why this place was called the Mahama. In the Synaxarium readings on the 8th of Baounah, it is mentioned that the Virgin Mary is the one who spurted this well. The Holy Family settled in this place for several days and then they took the road to the city of Belbeis (the parallel road to the Ismailia Canal today).
In the Synaxarium and Dafnar readings on the 8th of Baounah, it is mentioned that the Holy Family had returned to the Mahama on their way back to the land of Palestine.
The Mahama point on the Holy Family path is distinguished by the fact that it is named after a Holy Family event in it, and by the Holy Family’s passage through it during both their coming and their return journeys. Also, this place is related to events in the Holy Bible, since the Mahama was a place, through which the people of Israel traveled on their exit journey from the land of Egypt.
