A historic church in Egypt housing a display of what it believes is Jesus' footprint has been damaged by a fire.
The fire, set off by an electrical fault, caused structural damage to the church and destroyed its altar, according to the Agence France-Presse reported, but did not damage the preserved stone.
Jesus and his family are believed to have stopped at the Sanctuary of the Church of the Virgin Mary, located in Sakha, during their flight from Bethlehem to Egypt to escape King Herod's attacks on children. They reportedly left an imprint of Jesus' foot on a rock that was put on display at the church.
The Coptic name of the Sakha is "Pekha -Issous" which means "the foot of Jesus." It is one of several locations in the Middle East that are said to have imprints of Jesus' footprints.
The Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem, the site believed to mark the place where Jesus ascended into heaven, also has a stone imprint of a footprint purportedly belonging to Jesus on display.
-
Christian pro-life volunteer denies five fresh charges in abortion buffer zone case
-
Christian faith seen as ‘significantly more relevant’ to young people than church, new report finds
-
UK Christians unite for nine days of prayer as National Week of Prayer enters third year
-
US evangelicals more religious than other Christians, but still declining
News
-
More than 4,200 Christians killed in Nigeria this year - report
-
Televangelist Jim Bakker dies at 86
-
Blackburn Cathedral puts the Bible where it belongs
-
Franklin Graham preaches with warning from Sodom in Manchester
-
The book that changed Sweden: 500 years of the Swedish New Testament
-
‘We don’t want to lose the Holy Spirit as well as our skills’: What AI means for the Church
Most Popular
News
Mission Aviation Fellowship makes Sudan a fresh ministry priority amid humanitarian crisis
The Christian aviation charity is ending its ministry in Tanzania after more than six “decades of transformation” as its humanitarian focus shifts to the Sudan crisis.
When ‘my truth’ replaces the truth
We live in changing times, where feelings about how we “identify” now hold more authority than facts.
Christian pro-life volunteer denies five fresh charges in abortion buffer zone case
A Christian charity volunteer has pleaded not guilty to five charges of breaching an abortion clinic buffer zone in Birmingham, as her lawyers challenge whether the prosecution should proceed.
Can we really think ourselves happy?
There is growing evidence that people living with neglected tropical diseases, including leprosy, experience significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety, with discrimination and social exclusion among the factors contributing to this burden.
