Vol.I - The Coptic Orthodox Church

CH. iv.] The Roman Fortress. 231
before the Musulmans conquered Egypt, there was
near the gate of the Church of Mu'allakah called the
Gate of Grace an Idol of Brass in the form of a
Camel, with the Figure of a man riding on him, having
an Arabian Turbant on his Head, and his Bow over
his Shoulder and shoes on his Feet. The Romans
and the Coptites, when any one injured or unjustly
persecuted another, came to that statue, and standing
before it he who suffered the injuryr said to him who
did it, "Give me what belongs to -me, otherwise I
will make my complaint
to that Cavalier who will
oblige thee to do me right by fair means or by foul."
By that Cavalier they meant Mohammed (God's
peace and mercy be with him), for it is written among
them in the laws of Moses and the Gospel where
the countenance and posture of Mahomet is thus
described : "He shall ride on a Camel and have
Shoes on : he shall carry the Arabian Bow and have
a Turbant on his Head :" God's peace and mercy be
with him. When Gamrou (Amr) came to Egypt,
he and the Musulmans (God's peace be with them,)
the Romans perceiving they would certainly be sub-
dued, hid that Statue underground that it might not
serve the Musulmans for an argument against them
in the dispute. "I have heard" (says the son of
Lahigus), " that that Statue had continued in that
place several thousands of years, and that they know
not who had made it : God knows how it stands."
A safe verdict.
This Abu Nafr was one of the companions of the
prophet, took part in the siege of the fortress, and
became one of the founders of the famous mosque
of Amr at Old Cairo, which remains to this day
the earliest mosque in Egypt. His story refers