Jews of Egypt
The histories of the Egyptians and Jews have been interconnected since antiquity. In ancient times, Egypt was the premier empire of the world. Since the ancient kingdoms of Judea and Israel were so close to Egypt, it often had a major influence through its trade, diplomacy, and war. Jewish communities have been present in Egypt for thousands of years.
There are, of course, extensive Biblical accounts that detail the Jewish exodus from Egypt. However, Egypt’s modern Jewish community was established by Jews that settled in the country around the Hellenistic era. In particular, Alexandria became home to numerous famous Greek-speaking Jews. Jews in Egypt traditionally spoke Judeo-Arabic, similar to the dialect spoken in Alexandria.
