History of the Copts
The Coptic Church began way back in the year 55 A.D. and is among one of the oldest Christian churches in existence. The term “Egyptian Copts” may be a little redundant. Why? Because the word “Copt” can be literally translated to “Egyptian”. And who are the Copts, exactly? The Copts are simply Egyptians who follow the Christian faith. This group of people comprises 13-15% of the Egyptian population. Though, that is not to say that the Copts are found solely in Egypt. They are actually all over the world, settled in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, and Brazil, as well as in many countries located in Africa and Asia.
Their history is primarily rooted in how Christianity was brought to Egypt. The holy family migrated to Egypt when Jesus was just a small child. Saint Mark is the figure credited for introducing the concept of Christianity to the Egyptian people. The earliest Egyptian Christians were not treated well by the Roman Pagans until Constantine came along to encourage Christianity. St. Mark is credited as the founder of a school in Alexandria, Egypt that sought to teach orthodox Christianity.
