Mikra, Sefer Bereshit 12:10

ויהי רבע בארץ וירד אברם מצימה

Va yehi ra’av be eretz va yered Avram Mitzreyemah ….”

” There was a famine in the land, and Abram descended to Egypt …..”

Quran in Arabic, Al-Baqarah 2:61

اهبطوا مصرا فان لكم ما سالتم

” …. Ihbithu Mishra fa inna lakum ma sa’altum.”

” …. descend to Egypt and there you will find what you have asked for.”

Quran in Hebrew, Al-Baqarah 2:61

לכו ירד מצרימה ומצאתם שם את אשר שאלתם

” ….. lechu yered Mitzrayemah u-metzetem shem et asher she’elthem ….. ”

” … go down to Egypt and there you will find what you have asked for.”

The Quranic term اهبطوا (ihbithu), is a unique, meaning ” go down ” or ” dencend to.” This Arabic term is to refer to the geographical setting, from the upland to the lowland. And based on this verse, the word اهبطوا (ihbithu) is to migrate from the higher terrain of Canaan to the lowland as another place, Egypt.

Meanwhile, the Masoretic term ירד (yered) is exactly the same, indeed similar in Hebrew lexicon. The Hebrew term ירד ( yered) means ‘went down’ or ‘ descended to ‘ is the usual term used in the Torah for the pessage from the higher terrain of Canaan. The journey to Canaan is always referred to as עלה (‘oleh), meaning ” going up.” Thus, Egypt land is the lowland in the light of the Quran and the Torah.

Based on both Scriptures, I have to say to you all that Egypt is a lowland in an academic paradigm. Avraham avinu ‘alayv ha-shalom descended to Egypt, and Moshe rabbenu ‘alayv ha-shalom order to the b’ney Yisrael to descend to Egypt.

Baruch HASHEM

Photo: interfaith community (YIPC), discussing the Qurbana Qadisha (Christianity), ‘Idul Qurban (Islam), ‘Aqedah Yitzhaq (Judaism). All Abrahamic faiths celebrate the symbols, and to practise the symbols. August 4th 2017, Surabaya