\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 The spread of the Christian religion to Egypt gave rise to a distinct culture that developed as the ancient world was drawing to an en
d, between the fifth and ninth century AD.\par
Called the Coptic civilization, it was created out of a fusion of Pharaonic culture with the successive influences exercised on it by the Greeks, the Romans and finally the Arabs.\par
This painting on wood
, from the monastery of Bauit, represents Christ with his arm around the shoulders of the abbot of the monastery, a sign of blessing.\par
The two figures are identified by an inscription in Coptic lettering: Christ, who is holding the Gospels, is descri
bed as \i soter\i0 , the Savior. The name of the other figure is written on the left: apa Mena, or Abbot Mena.\par
Both Christ and the abbot have haloes, a sign of the latterÆs sanctity. In fact Egyptian Christianity was characterized by its strict asce
ticism. The severity of the image and frontality of the figures are reminiscent of Byzantine icons and anticipate the art of the Middle Ages.
