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Thomas the Apostle

December 24, 2023

Thomas the Apostle (Greek: Θωμᾶς; Syriac ܬܐܘܡܐ, Tʾōmā, meaning "the twin"),[a] also known as Didymus (Greek: Δίδυμος Didymos, meaning "twin"), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as "Doubting Thomas" because he initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ when he was told of it (as is related in the Gospel of John); he later confessed his faith ("My lord and my God") on seeing the wounds left over from the crucifixion.

Saint

Thomas the Apostle
St Thomas (c. 1611) by Peter Paul Rubens
Apostle, Preacher, Martyr
Born1st century AD
Galilee, Judea, Roman Empire[1]
DiedAD 72
St. Thomas Mount, Chola Kingdom (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)
Venerated inAll Christian denominations that venerate saints, especially Saint Thomas Christians
CanonizedPre-Congregation
Major shrineSt. Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Mylapore, Chennai India, St. Thomas Major Archi Episcopal Shrine, Palayoor Kerala India,
Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle in Ortona, Italy
Feast
AttributesThe Twin, placing his finger in the side of Christ, nelumbo nucifera, spear (means of his Christian martyrdom), square (his profession, a builder)
PatronageArchitects, for Christians in India (including Saint Thomas Christians and Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore), Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and Pula (Croatia)
Thomas the Apostle, detail of the mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, 6th century

According to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of modern-day states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India, Saint Thomas travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, travelling as far as the Mylapore which is in South India, Tamil Nadu, India[1][4][5][6] and reached Muziris (modern-day North Paravur and Kodungalloor in Kerala State, India) in AD 52.[7][8][1] In 1258, some of the relics were brought to Ortona, in Abruzzo, Italy, where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle.[9] He is regarded as the patron saint of India among its Christian adherents,[10][11] and the Feast of Saint Thomas on July 3 is celebrated as Indian Christians' Day.[12][13] The name Thomas remains quite popular among the Saint Thomas Christians of the Indian subcontinent.

Many churches in the Middle East and southern Asia, besides India, also mention Apostle Thomas in their historical traditions as being the first evangelist to establish those churches, the Assyrian Church of the East,[14] the early church of Sri Lanka.[15]

Gospel of John edit

Thomas first speaks in the Gospel of John. In John 11:16,[16] when Lazarus has recently died, and the apostles do not wish to go back to Judea, Thomas says: "Let us also go, that we may die with him."[b]

Thomas speaks again in John 14:5. There, Jesus had just explained that he was going away to prepare a heavenly home for his followers, and that one day they would join him there. Thomas reacted by saying, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"[17]

John 20:24–29[18] tells how doubting Thomas was skeptical at first when he heard that Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to the other apostles, saying, "Except I shall see on his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."[19] But when Jesus appeared later and invited Thomas to touch his wounds and behold him, Thomas showed his belief by saying, "My lord and my God".[20] Jesus then said, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."[21]

Names and etymologies edit

The name Thomas (Greek: Θωμᾶς) given for the apostle in the New Testament is derived from the Aramaic תְּאוֹמָא Tʾōmā[22][23] (Syriac ܬܐܘܿܡܵܐ/ܬ݁ܳܐܘܡܰܐ Tʾōmā/Tāʾwma), meaning "the twin" and cognate to Hebrew תְּאוֹם tʾóm. The equivalent term for twin in Greek, which is also used in the New Testament, is Δίδυμος Didymos.

Other names edit

The Nag Hammadi copy of the Gospel of Thomas begins: "These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymus, Judas Thomas, recorded." Early Syrian traditions also relate the apostle's full name as Judas Thomas.[c] Some have seen in the Acts of Thomas (written in east Syria in the early 3rd century, or perhaps as early as the first half of the 2nd century) an identification of Thomas with the apostle Judas, Son of James. However, the first sentence of the Acts follows the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in distinguishing the apostle Thomas and the apostle Judas son of James. Others, such as James Tabor, identify him as Jude, brother of Jesus mentioned by Mark. In the Book of Thomas the Contender, part of the Nag Hammadi library, he is alleged to be a twin to Jesus: "Now, since it has been said that you are my twin and true companion, examine yourself…"[24]

A "Doubting Thomas" is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience—a reference to the Gospel of John's depiction of the Apostle Thomas, who, in John's account, refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles until he could see and feel Jesus' crucifixion wounds.

Feast days edit

When the feast of Saint Thomas was inserted in the Roman calendar in the 9th century, it was assigned to 21 December. The Martyrology of St. Jerome mentioned the apostle on 3 July, the date to which the Roman celebration was transferred in 1969, so that it would no longer interfere with the major ferial days of Advent.[25] Traditionalist Roman Catholics (who follow the General Roman Calendar of 1960 or earlier), the Lutheran Church, and many Anglicans (including members of the Episcopal Church as well as members of the Church of England who worship according to the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer),[26] still celebrate his feast day on 21 December. However, most modern liturgical calendars (including the Common Worship calendar of the Church of England) prefer 3 July, Thomas is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival.[27]

The Eastern Orthodox venerates Thomas on the following days:

  • June 20 – Commemoration of the Translation of the Relics of the Apostles Andrew, Thomas, and Luke; the Prophet Elisha; and the Martyr Lazarus.[28][29]
  • June 30 – The Twelve Apostles.[30]
  • October 6 – Primary feast day.[31]
  • The First Sunday after Easter – The Sunday of Thomas, which commemorate when Thomas' doubts regarding the risen Christ was removed by his touching of Christ's side.[32]

Thomas is also associated with the "Arabian" (or "Arapet") icon of the Theotokos (Mother of God), which is commemorated on 6 September.[33]

The Malankara Orthodox Church celebrates his feast on three days, 3 July (in memory of the relic translation to Edessa), 18 December (the Day he was lanced), and 21 December (when he died).[34]

Later history and traditions edit

The Passing of Mary, adjudged heretical by Pope Gelasius I in 494, was attributed to Joseph of Arimathea.[35][36] The document states that Thomas was the only witness of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. The other apostles were miraculously transported to Jerusalem to witness her death. Thomas was left in India, but after her first burial, he was transported to her tomb, where he witnessed her bodily assumption into heaven, from which she dropped her girdle. In an inversion of the story of Thomas' doubts, the other apostles are skeptical of Thomas' story until they see the empty tomb and the girdle.[37] Thomas' receipt of the girdle is commonly depicted in medieval and pre-Council of Trent Renaissance art.[38][39]

Mission in India edit

Main articles: Saint Thomas Christians, Christianity in India, and Christianity in Kerala
 
The Postal Department of India issued a stamp commemorating his mission to the country.
 
Map of ancient Silk Road and Spice Route

According to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of India, the Apostle Thomas landed in Muziris (Cranganore) on the Kerala coast in AD 52 and was martyred in Mylapore, near Madras, Tamil Nadu in AD 72.[7][8][1][4] The port was destroyed in 1341 by a massive flood that realigned the coasts. He is believed by the Saint Thomas Christian tradition to have established seven churches (communities) in Kerala. These churches are at Kodungallur, Palayoor, Kottakkavu (Paravur), Kokkamangalam, Niranam, Nilackal (Chayal), Kollam, and Thiruvithamcode.[40] Thomas baptized several families.[41] Many families claim to have origins almost as far back as these, and the religious historian Robert Eric Frykenberg notes that: "Whatever dubious historicity may be attached to such local traditions, there can be little doubt as to their great antiquity or to their great appeal in the popular imagination."[42]

It was to a land of dark people he was sent, to clothe them by Baptism in white robes. His grateful dawn dispelled India's painful darkness. It was his mission to espouse India to the One-Begotten. The merchant is blessed for having so great a treasure. Edessa thus became the blessed city by possessing the greatest pearl India could yield. Thomas works miracles in India, and at Edessa Thomas is destined to baptize peoples perverse and steeped in darkness, and that in the land of India.

— Hymns of Saint Ephrem, edited by Lamy (Ephr. Hymni et Sermones, IV).

... Into what land shall I fly from the just?
I stirred up Death the Apostles to slay, that by their death I might escape their blows.
But harder still am I now stricken: the Apostle I slew in India has overtaken me in Edessa; here and there he is all himself.
There went I, and there was he: here and there to my grief I find him.

— quoted in Medlycott 1905, Ch II

Ephrem the Syrian, a doctor of Syriac Christianity, writes in the forty-second of his "Carmina Nisibina" that the Apostle was put to death in India, and that his remains were subsequently buried in Edessa, brought there by an unnamed merchant.[43]

 
The tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Mylapore, India

According to Eusebius' record, Thomas and Bartholomew were assigned to Parthia and northwest India.[44][45][46][47] The Didascalia (dating from the end of the 3rd century) states, "India and all countries condering it, even to the farthest seas... received the apostolic ordinances from Judas Thomas, who was a guide and ruler in the church which he built."

According to traditional accounts, Thomas is believed to have left northwest India when an attack threatened and traveled by vessel to the Malabar Coast, possibly visiting southeast Arabia and Socotra en route, and landing at the former flourishing port of Muziris (modern-day North Paravur and Kodungalloor) (c. AD 50) in the company of a Jewish merchant Abbanes/Habban (Schonfield, 1984,125).[40][better source needed] From there he is said to have preached the gospel throughout the Malabar coast. The various churches he founded were located mainly on the Periyar River and its tributaries and along the coast, where there were Jewish colonies. In accordance with apostolic custom, Thomas ordained teachers and leaders or elders, who were reported to be the earliest ministry of the Malankara Church.[citation needed]

Death edit

 
Martyrdom of Saint Thomas by Peter Paul Rubens, 1636–1638, in the National Gallery Prague
 
The reliquary of the spear which killed St. Thomas, in Chennai, India

According to Syrian Christian tradition, Thomas was killed with a spear at St. Thomas Mount in Chennai on 3 July in AD 72, and his body was interred in Mylapore. Latin Church tradition holds 21 December as his date of death.[48] Ephrem the Syrian states that the Apostle was killed in India, and that his relics were taken then to Edessa. This is the earliest known record of his death.[49]

The records of Barbosa from the early 16th century record that the tomb was then maintained by a Muslim who kept a lamp burning there.[50] The St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India presently located at the tomb, was first built in the 16th century by the Portuguese, and rebuilt in the 19th century by the British.[51] St. Thomas Mount has been a site revered by Muslims and Christians since at least the 16th century.[52]

Possible visit to China edit

Thomas's alleged visit to China is mentioned in the books and church traditions of Saint Thomas Christians in India[53] who, for a part, claim descent from the early Christians evangelized by Thomas the Apostle in AD 52. For example, it is found in the Malayalam ballad Thoma Ramban Pattu (The Song of the Lord Thomas) with the earliest manuscript being from the 17th century.[54] The sources clearly have Thomas coming to India, then to China, and back to India, where he died.[53]

In other attested sources, the tradition of making Thomas the apostle of China is found in the "Law of Christianity" (Fiqh al-naṣrāniyya),[55] a compilation of juridical literature by Ibn al-Ṭayyib (Nestorian theologian and physician who died in 1043 in Baghdad). Later, in the Nomocanon of Abdisho bar Berika (metropolitan of Nisibis and Armenia, died in 1318) and the breviary of the Chaldean Church[56] it is written:

1. Through St. Thomas the error of idolatry vanished from India.

2. Through St. Thomas the Chinese and Ethiopians were converted to the truth.

3. Through St. Thomas they accepted the sacrament of baptism and the adoption of sons.

4. Through St. Thomas they believed in and confessed the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.

5. Through St. Thomas they preserved the accepted faith of the one God.

6. Through St. Thomas the life-giving splendors rose in all India.

7. Through St. Thomas the Kingdom of Heaven took wing and ascended to China.

— Translated by Athanasius Kircher in China Illustrata (1667), Office of St. Thomas for the Second Nocturn, Gaza of the Church of St. Thomas of Malabar, Chaldean Breviary

In its nascent form, this tradition is found at the earliest in the Zuqnin Chronicle (AD 775) and may have originated in the late Sasanian period.[57][58] Perhaps it originated as a 3rd-century pseudepigraphon where Thomas would have converted the Magi (in the Gospel of Matthew) to Christianity as they dwelled in the land of Shir (land of Seres, Tarim Basin, near what was the world's easternmost sea for many people in antiquity).[59] Additionally, the testimony of Arnobius of Sicca, active shortly after AD 300, maintains that the Christian message had arrived in India and among the Persians, Medians, and Parthians (along with the Seres).[60]

Possible travel into Indonesia edit

According to Kurt E. Koch, Thomas the Apostle possibly traveled into Indonesia via India with Indian traders.[61]

Paraguayan legend edit

Ancient oral tradition retained by the Guaraní tribes of Paraguay claims that the Apostle Thomas was in Paraguay and preached to them under the name of Paí Sumé or Avaré Sumé.[62]

in the estate of our college, called Paraguay, and twenty leagues distant from Asumpcion. This place stretches out on one side into a pleasant plain, affording pasture to a vast quantity of cattle; on the other, where it looks towards the south, it is surrounded by hills and rocks; in one of which a cross piled up of three large stones is visited, and held in great veneration by the natives for the sake of St. Thomas; for they believe, and firmly maintain, that the Apostle, seated on these stones as on a chair, formerly preached to the assembled Indians.

— Dobrizhoffer 1822, p. 385

Almost 150 years prior to Dobrizhoffer's arrival in Paraguay, another Jesuit Missionary, F. J. Antonio Ruiz de Montoya recollected the same oral traditions from the Paraguayan tribes. He wrote:

...The paraguayan tribes they have this very curious tradition. They claim that a very holy man (Thomas the Apostle himself), whom they call "Paí Thome", lived amongst them and preached to them the Holy Truth, wandering and carrying a wooden cross on his back.

— Ruiz de Montoya 1639, Ch XVIII

The sole recorded research done about the subject was during José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia's reign after the Independence of Paraguay. This is mentioned by Franz Wisner von Morgenstern, an Austro-Hungarian engineer who served in the Paraguayan armies prior and during the Paraguayan War. According to Von Morgenstern, some Paraguayan miners while working nearby some hills at the Caaguazú Department found some stones with ancient letters carved in them. Dictator Francia sent his finest experts to inspect those stones, and they concluded that the letters carved in those stones were Hebrew-like symbols, but they couldn't translate them nor figure out the exact date when those letters were carved.[63] No further recorded investigations exists, and according to Wisner, people believed that the letters were made by Thomas the Apostle, following the tradition.

Relics edit

 
Shrine of Saint Thomas in Mylapore, 18th-century print
 
Relics of Thomas in the Cathedral of Ortona

Mylapore edit

Traditional accounts say that the Apostle Thomas preached not only in Kerala but also in other parts of Southern India – and a few relics are still kept at San Thome Basilica in Mylapore neighborhood in the central part of the city of Chennai in India.[64] Marco Polo, the Venetian traveller and author of Description of the World, popularly known as Il Milione, is reputed to have visited Southern India in 1288 and 1292. The first date has been rejected as he was in China at the time, but the second date is generally accepted.[64]

Edessa edit

According to tradition, in AD 232, the greater portion of relics of the Apostle Thomas are said to have been sent by an Indian king and brought from Mylapore to the city of Edessa, Mesopotamia, on which occasion his Syriac Acts were written.

The Indian king is named as "Mazdai" in Syriac sources, "Misdeos" and "Misdeus" in Greek and Latin sources respectively, which has been connected to the "Bazdeo" on the Kushan coinage of Vasudeva I, the transition between "M" and "B" being a current one in Classical sources for Indian names.[65] The martyrologist Rabban Sliba dedicated a special day to both the Indian king, his family, and Saint Thomas:

Coronatio Thomae apostoli et Misdeus rex Indiae, Johannes eus filius huisque mater Tertia (Coronation of Thomas the Apostle, and Misdeus king of India, together with his son Johannes (thought to be a latinization of Vizan) and his mother Tertia) Rabban Sliba

— Bussagli 1965, p. 255

In the 4th century, the martyrium erected over his burial place brought pilgrims to Edessa. In the 380s, Egeria described her visit in a letter she sent to her community of nuns at home (Itineraria Egeriae):[66]

We arrived at Edessa in the Name of Christ our God, and, on our arrival, we straightway repaired to the church and memorial of saint Thomas. There, according to custom, prayers were made and the other things that were customary in the holy places were done; we read also some things concerning saint Thomas himself. The church there is very great, very beautiful and of new construction, well worthy to be the house of God, and as there was much that I desired to see, it was necessary for me to make a three days' stay there.

According to Theodoret of Cyrrhus, the bones of Saint Thomas were transferred by Cyrus I, Bishop of Edessa, from the martyrium outside of Edessa to a church in the south-west corner of the city on 22 August 394.[67]

In 441, the Magister militum per Orientem Anatolius donated a silver coffin to hold the relics.[68]

In AD 522, Cosmas Indicopleustes (called the Alexandrian) visited the Malabar Coast. He is the first traveller who mentions Syrian Christians in Malabar, in his book Christian Topography. He mentions that in the town of "Kalliana" (Quilon or Kollam) there was a bishop who had been consecrated in Persia.[69]

In 1144, the city was conquered by the Zengids and the shrine destroyed.[68]

Chios and Ortona edit

 
Ortona's Basilica of Saint Thomas

The reputed relics of Saint Thomas remained at Edessa until they were moved to Chios in 1258.[70] Some portion of the relics were later transferred again, and now rest in the Cathedral of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Ortona, Italy. However, the skull of Thomas is said to be at Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on the Greek island of Patmos.[71]

Ortona's three galleys reached the island of Chios in 1258, led by General Leone Acciaiuoli. Chios was considered the island where Thomas, after his death in India, had been buried. A portion fought around the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands, the other in the sea lapping at the then Syrian coast. The three galleys of Ortona moved on the second front of the war and reached the island of Chios.

The tale is provided by Giambattista De Lectis, physician and writer of the 16th century of Ortona. After the looting, the navarca Ortona Leone went to pray in the main church of the island of Chios and was drawn to a chapel adorned and resplendent with lights. An elderly priest, through an interpreter informed him that in that oratory was venerated the Body of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Leone, filled with an unusual sweetness, gathered in deep prayer. At that moment a light hand twice invited him to come closer. The navarca Leone reached out and took a bone from the largest hole of the tombstone, on which were carved the Greek letters and a halo depicted a bishop from the waist up. He was the confirmation of what he had said the old priest and that you are indeed in the presence of the Apostle's body. He went back on the galley and planned the theft for the next night, along with fellow Ruggiero Grogno. They lifted the heavy gravestone and watched the underlying relics. The wrapped in snow-white cloths them laid in a wooden box (stored at Ortona to the looting of 1566) and brought them aboard the galley. Leone, then, along with other comrades, he returned again in the church, took the tombstone and took her away. Just the Chinardo admiral was aware of the precious cargo moved all the sailors of the Muslim faith on other ships and ordered him to take the route to Ortona.

 
Portal of Ortona, Saint Thomas' Basilica

He landed at the port of Ortona 6 September 1258. According to the story of De Lectis, he was informed the abbot Jacopo was responsible for Ortona Church, which predisposed full provision for hospitality felt and shared by all the people. Since then the body of the apostle and the gravestone are preserved in the crypt of the Basilica. In 1259 a parchment written in Bari by the court under John Peacock contracts, the presence of five witnesses, preserved in Ortona at the Diocesan Library, confirming the veracity of that event, reported, as mentioned, by Giambattista De Lectis, physician and writer Ortona of the 16th century.

The relics resisted both the Saracen looting of 1566, and the destruction of the Nazis in the battle of Ortona fought in late December 1943. The basilica was blown up because the belfry was considered a lookout point by the allies, coming by sea from San Vito Chietino. The relics, together with the treasure of Saint Thomas, were intended by the Germans to be sold, but the monks entombed them inside the bell tower, the only surviving part of the semi-ruined church.

 
Slab of chalcedony which covered the Apostle's relics at Chios, now in the Basilica of Ortona[5]

The tombstone of Thomas, brought to Ortona from Chios along with the relics of the Apostle, are preserved in the crypt of St Thomas Basilica, behind the altar. The urn containing the bones is placed under the altar. It is the cover of a fake coffin, fairly widespread burial form in the early Christian world, as the top of a tomb of less expensive material. The plaque has an inscription and a bas-relief that refer, in many respects, to the Syro-Mesopotamian. Tombstone Thomas the Apostle on inclusion can be read, in Greek characters uncial, the expression 'osios thomas, that Saint Thomas. It can be dated from the point of view palaeographic and lexical to the 3rd–5th century, a time when the term osios is still used as a synonym of aghios in that holy is he that is in the grace of God and is inserted in the church: the two vocabulary, therefore, indicate the Christians. In the particular case of Saint Thomas' plaque, the word osios can be the translation of the word Syriac mar (Lord), attributed in the ancient world, but also to the present day, is a saint to be a bishop.

Iraq edit

The finger bones of Saint Thomas were discovered during restoration work at the Church of Saint Thomas in Mosul, Iraq in 1964,[72] and were housed there until the Fall of Mosul, after which the relics were transferred to the Monastery of Saint Matthew on 17 June 2014.[73][74]

Succession edit

As per the tradition of Saint Thomas Christians, St. Thomas the Apostle established his throne in India and ordained Mar Keppa, a Chera prince, as his successor.[75]

See of St. Thomas the Apostle edit

As per the tradition of Saint Thomas Christians, Saint Thomas the Apostle established his throne in India and India was his See (Kolla Hendo), therefore the see of the metropolitan of Saint Thomas Christians was India and used the title Metropolitan and Gate of all India.[76] In Syriac Manuscript Vatican Syriac Codex 22 the title given for the Metropolitan of the Saint Thomas Christians was "the superintendent and ruler of the holy see of St. Thomas the Apostle".

Historical references edit

 
"By the command of an Indian King he was thrust through with lances", 1739 engraving

A number of early Christian writings written during the centuries immediately following the first Ecumenical Council of 325 mention Thomas' mission.

The Transitus Mariae describes each of the apostles purportedly being temporarily transported to heaven during the Assumption of Mary.

Acts of Thomas edit

The main source is the apocryphal Acts of Thomas, sometimes called by its full name The Acts of Judas Thomas, written circa 180–230 AD.[77][78] These are generally regarded by various Christian religions as apocryphal, or even heretical. The two centuries that lapsed between the life of the apostle and the recording of this work cast doubt on their authenticity.

The king, Misdeus (or Mizdeos), was infuriated when Thomas converted the queen Tertia, the king's son Juzanes, sister-in-law princess Mygdonia and her friend Markia. Misdeus led Thomas outside the city and ordered four soldiers to take him to the nearby hill, where the soldiers speared Thomas, killing him. After Thomas' death, Syphorus was elected the first presbyter of Mazdai by the surviving converts, while Juzanes was the first deacon. (The names Misdeus, Tertia, Juzanes, Syphorus, Markia and Mygdonia (c.f. Mygdonia, a province of Mesopotamia) may suggest Greek descent or cultural influences.[78] Greek traders had long visited Muziris. Greek kingdoms in northern India and Bactria, founded by Alexander the Great, were vassals[dubious – discuss] of the Indo-Parthians.[79]

 
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio

Doctrine of the Apostles edit

The Doctrine of the Apostles as reflected in Cureton 1864, pp. 32–34 attests that Thomas had written Christian doctrine from India.

India and all its own countries, and those bordering on it, even to the farther sea, received the Apostle's hand of Priesthood from Judas Thomas, who was Guide and Ruler in the Church which he built and ministered there". In what follows "the whole Persia of the Assyrians and Medes, and of the countries round about Babylon… even to the borders of the Indians and even to the country of Gog and Magog" are said to have received the Apostles' Hand of Priesthood from Aggaeus the disciple of Addaeus

— Cureton 1864, p. 33

Origen edit

Christian philosopher Origen taught with great acclaim in Alexandria and then in Caesarea.[80] He is the first known writer to record the casting of lots by the Apostles. Origen's original work has been lost, but his statement about Parthia falling to Thomas has been preserved by Eusebius. "Origen, in the third chapter of his Commentary on Genesis, says that, according to tradition, Thomas's allotted field of labour was Parthia".[81][82][83]

Eusebius edit

Quoting Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea says: "When the holy Apostles and disciples of our Saviour were scattered over all the world, Thomas, so the tradition has it, obtained as his portion Parthia…"[84] "Judas, who is also called Thomas" has a role in the legend of king Abgar of Edessa (Urfa), for having sent Thaddaeus to preach in Edessa after the Ascension.[85][86] Ephrem the Syrian also recounts this legend.[87]

Ephrem the Syrian edit

Many devotional hymns composed by Ephrem the Syrian bear witness to the Edessan Church's strong conviction concerning Thomas's Indian Apostolate. There the devil speaks of Thomas as "the Apostle I slew in India". Also, "The merchant brought the bones" to Edessa.[88]

Another hymn eulogizing Saint Thomas reads "The bones the merchant hath brought". "In his several journeyings to India/ And thence on his return/ All riches/ which there he found/ Dirt in his eyes he did repute when to thy sacred bones compared". In yet another hymn Ephrem speaks of the mission of Thomas: "The earth darkened with sacrifices' fumes to illuminate", "a land of people dark fell to thy lot", "a tainted land Thomas has purified"; "India's dark night" was "flooded with light" by Thomas.

— Medlycott 1905, pp. 21–32[dubious – discuss][better source needed]

Gregory of Nazianzus edit

 
Ancient mosaic of the Apostle Thomas

Gregory of Nazianzus was born AD 330, consecrated a bishop by his friend Basil of Caesarea; in 372, his father, the Bishop of Nazianzus, induced him to share his charge. In 379, the people of Constantinople called him to be their bishop. By the Eastern Orthodox Church, he is emphatically called "the Theologian".[89] "What? were not the Apostles strangers amidst the many nations and countries over which they spread themselves? … Peter indeed may have belonged to Judea, but what had Paul in common with the gentiles, Luke with Achaia, Andrew with Epirus, John with Ephesus, Thomas with India, Mark with Italy?"[90][better source needed]

Ambrose of Milan edit

Ambrose of Milan was thoroughly acquainted with the Greek and Latin Classics and had a good deal of information on India and Indians. He speaks of the Gymnosophists of India, the Indian Ocean, the river Ganges etc., a number of times.[91] "This admitted of the Apostles being sent without delay according to the saying of our Lord Jesus… Even those Kingdoms which were shut out by rugged mountains became accessible to them, as India to Thomas, Persia to Matthew..."[92][better source needed]

Gregory of Tours edit

The testimony of Gregory of Tours (died 594): "Thomas the Apostle, according to the narrative of his martyrdom is stated to have suffered in India. His holy remains (corpus), after a long interval of time, were removed to the city of Edessa in Syria and there interred. In that part of India where they first rested, stand a monastery and a church of striking dimensions, elaborately adorned and designed. This Theodore, who had been to the place, narrated to us."[93]

Writings edit

Let none read the gospel according to Thomas, for it is the work, not of one of the twelve apostles, but of one of Mani's three wicked disciples.

— Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis V (4th century)

In the first two centuries of the Christian era, a number of writings were circulated. It is unclear now why Thomas was seen as an authority for doctrine, although this belief is documented in Gnostic groups as early as the Pistis Sophia. In that Gnostic work, Mary Magdalene (one of the disciples) says:

Now at this time, my Lord, hear, so that I speak openly, for thou hast said to us "He who has ears to hear, let him hear:" Concerning the word which thou didst say to Philip: "Thou and Thomas and Matthew are the three to whom it has been given… to write every word of the Kingdom of the Light, and to bear witness to them"; hear now that I give the interpretation of these words. It is this which thy light-power once prophesied through Moses: "Through two and three witnesses everything will be established. The three witnesses are Philip and Thomas and Matthew"

— Pistis Sophia 1:43

An early, non-Gnostic tradition may lie behind this statement, which also emphasizes the primacy of the Gospel of Matthew in its Aramaic form, over the other canonical three.

Besides the Acts of Thomas there was a widely circulated Infancy Gospel of Thomas probably written in the later 2nd century, and probably also in Syria, which relates the miraculous events and prodigies of Jesus' boyhood. This is the document which tells for the first time the familiar legend of the twelve sparrows which Jesus, at the age of five, fashioned from clay on the Sabbath day, which took wing and flew away. The earliest manuscript of this work is a 6th-century one in Syriac. This gospel was first referred to by Irenaeus; Ron Cameron notes: "In his citation, Irenaeus first quotes a non-canonical story that circulated about the childhood of Jesus and then goes directly on to quote a passage from the infancy narrative of the Gospel of Luke.[94] Since the Infancy Gospel of Thomas records both of these stories, in relative close proximity to one another, it is possible that the apocryphal writing cited by Irenaeus is, in fact, what is now known as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Because of the complexities of the manuscript tradition, however, there is no certainty as to when the stories of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas began to be written down."

The best known in modern times of these documents is the "sayings" document that is being called the Gospel of Thomas, a noncanonical work whose date is disputed. The opening line claims it is the work of "Didymos Judas Thomas" – whose identity is unknown. This work was discovered in a Coptic translation in 1945 at the Egyptian village of Nag Hammadi, near the site of the monastery of Chenoboskion. Once the Coptic text was published, scholars recognized that an earlier Greek translation had been published from fragments of papyrus found at Oxyrhynchus in the 1890s.

Saint Thomas Cross edit

Main article: Saint Thomas Christian cross
 
Saint Thomas Christian cross

In the 16th-century work Jornada, Antonio Gouvea writes of ornate crosses known as Saint Thomas Crosses. It is also known as Nasrani Menorah,[95] Persian Cross, or Mar Thoma Sleeva.[96] These crosses are believed to date from the 6th century as per the tradition and are found in a number of churches in Kerala, Mylapore and Goa. Jornada is the oldest known written document to refer to this type of cross as a Saint Thomas Cross. Gouvea also writes about the veneration of the Cross at Cranganore, referring to the cross as "Cross of Christians".

There are several interpretations of the Nasrani symbol. The interpretation based on Christian Jewish tradition assumes that its design was based on Jewish menorah, an ancient symbol of the Hebrews, which consists of a seven branched lamp stand (candelabra).[95] The interpretation based on local culture states that the Cross without the figure of Jesus and with flowery arms symbolizing "joyfulness" points to the resurrection theology of Paul the Apostle; the Holy Spirit on the top represents the role of Holy Spirit in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The lotus symbolizing Buddhism and the Cross over it shows that Christianity was established in the land of Buddha. The three steps indicate Calvary and the rivulets, channels of Grace flowing from the Cross.[97]

In Islam edit

The Qur’anic account of the disciples of Jesus does not include their names, numbers, or any detailed accounts of their lives. Muslim exegesis, however, more or less agrees with the New Testament list and says that the disciples included Peter, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Andrew, James, Jude, John, James, son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot.[98]

Major shrine edit

Santhome Church edit

 
San Thome Church, built in 1523

Santhome Church is said to be the tomb of Saint Thomas in Chennai, India.[99] It was built in 1523 by Portuguese missionaries. It is a national shrine, basilica and cathedral. It is an important site for Christians and a major shrine of Saint Thomas.

See also edit

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Hebrew: תֹּאמָא השליח; Coptic: ⲑⲱⲙⲁⲥ; Malayalam: തോമാ ശ്ലീഹാ
  2. ^ All three occasions are discussed in detail by Dr. Mathew Vallanickal, "Faith and Character of Apostle Thomas" in The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, Vol. II, Trichur, 1973, p. 2
  3. ^ "... Judas Thomas, as he is called [in the Acta Thomae] and elsewhere in Syriac tradition ...". Thurston 1913

Citations edit

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  2. ^ . Latin-mass-society.org. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
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  4. ^ a b Slapak 1995, p. 27.
  5. ^ a b Medlycott 1905.
  6. ^ Puthiakunnel 1973.
  7. ^ a b Johnson & Zacharia 2016.
  8. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ "Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle". GCatholic.org. from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Patron Saints of Countries". from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  11. ^ Medlycott 1905, Ch. IV.
  12. ^ Carvalho, Nirmala (29 June 2021). "First Indian Christian Day on 3 July". AsiaNews. from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  13. ^ Kumar, Anugrah (4 July 2021). "India: Christians celebrate first Indian Christian Day, feast of St. Thomas". The Christian Post. from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Socotra: The Mysterious Island of the Assyrian Church of the East". Church of Beth Kokheh Journal. 11 April 2016. from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Sri Lanka: a brief history of Christianity". Scoop News. 23 September 2013. from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  16. ^ John 11:16
  17. ^ John 14:5
  18. ^ John 20:24–29
  19. ^ John 20:25
  20. ^ John 20:28
  21. ^ John 20:29
  22. ^ Buxtorf, Johann (1622). Lexicon Chaldaicum et Syriacum;: quo voces omnes tam primitivæ quàm derivativae, quotquot in sacrorum Vet. Testamenti librorum Targumim seu paraphrasibus Chaldaicis, Onkeli in Mosen, Jonathanis in Prophetas, & aliorum authorum in hagiographa: item in Targum Hierosolymitano, Jonathane altero in legem, & Targum secundo in librum Esther: denique in Novi Testamenti translatione Syriaca reperiuntur, accuratè et methodicè dispositae, & fideliter explicatae, copiosè absoluteq́[ue] describuntur (in Latin). Ex officina Ludovici Regis.
  23. ^ "על-פי יוחנן כ". holylanguage.com. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
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  25. ^ Catholic Church 1969, p. 96.
  26. ^ "Propers for St. Thomas the Apostle". Commonprayer.org. from the original on 28 February 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  27. ^ "The Calendar". The Church of England. from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  28. ^ "June 20, 2017. + Orthodox Calendar". orthochristian.com. from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Αποστολική Διακονία της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος". apostoliki-diakonia.gr. from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Twelve Apostles". www.oca.org. from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas". www.oca.org. from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Antipascha: Saint Thomas Sunday". www.oca.org. from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  33. ^ Icon of the Mother of God, Arapet (Arabian) 1 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine Orthodox icon and synaxarion for 6 September
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  36. ^ Robinson 1926, p. 33.
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  42. ^ Frykenberg 2008, pp. 101–102.
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  44. ^ Medlycott 1905, pp. 1–17, 213–297.
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  46. ^ Smith 1914, p. 235.
  47. ^ Brown 1956, pp. 49–59.
  48. ^ Farmer 2011, p. 418.
  49. ^ Marco Polo 1920, p. 117.
  50. ^ Hunter 1886, p. 237.
  51. ^ Neill 2004, p. 29.
  52. ^ Hunter 1886, p. 31.
  53. ^ a b Bays 2011, Ch. 1.
  54. ^ Curtin, D. P.; Nath, Nithul. (May 2017). The Ramban Pattu. Dalcassian Publishing Company. ISBN 9781087913766.
  55. ^ Hoenerbach & Spies 1956.
  56. ^ Gilman & Klimkeit 2016.
  57. ^ Tubach 1995, pp. 397–430.
  58. ^ Takahashi 2011.
  59. ^ Andrade 2018, pp. 58–59.
  60. ^ Arnobius of Sicca 1949, p. 125.
  61. ^ Koch 1972.
  62. ^ "Portal Guaraní - FOLKLORE, TRADICIONES, MITOS Y LEYENDAS DEL PARAGUAY - COMPILACIÓN Y BIBLIOGRAFÍA RECOMENDADA - Compilación de Mitos y Leyendas del Paraguay - Bibliografía Recomendada". www.portalguarani.com. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  63. ^ von Morgenstern 1998, p. 198.
  64. ^ a b Muthiah 2014.
  65. ^ Bussagli 1965, p. 255.
  66. ^ "The Pilgrimage of S. Silvia of Aquitania to the Holy Places". from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  67. ^ Harvey 2005, p. 124.
  68. ^ a b Segal 2005, pp. 174–176, 250.
  69. ^ Sadasivan 2000, p. 410.
  70. ^ Thurston 1913.
  71. ^ Sanidopoulos 2010.
  72. ^ . Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  73. ^ Arraf 2018.
  74. ^ "Holy Relics of Saint Thomas transferred to the Monastery of St Matthew in Nineveh". OCP. 9 July 2014. from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  75. ^ Ramban Pattu lines: 17–24
  76. ^ Brock, Sebastian P; Coakley, James F. "Church of the East". Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  77. ^ Wright 1871; Rev. Paul Bedjan, Acta Martyrum et Sanctorum, Vol. III, Leipsic-Paris, 1892.Medlycott 1905, pp. 221–225, Appendix. Also in The Nazranies, Ed. G. Menachery, Ollur, 1998.
  78. ^ a b "The Consummation of Thomas the Apostle". from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  79. ^ Mookerji 1966, p. 28.
  80. ^ Eusebius (1885). "Book III/Chapter 1" . Church History . §2 – via Wikisource.
  81. ^ Perumalil 1971, pp. 50–51.
  82. ^ 20th Century Discussions: Hambye 1952; Comes, S. J., "Did St. Thomas Really come to India?", in Menachery (Ed.) STCEI, II.
  83. ^ Farquhar 1926, pp. 30–31.
  84. ^ Panjikaran 1926, p. 99 esp. for reference to Pantaenus' Indian visit. Reproduced in ICHC I 'The Nazranies", ed. George Menachery 1998, pp. 277 ff.
  85. ^ Eusebius (1885). "Book I/Chapter 13" . Church History . §4 – via Wikisource.
  86. ^ Eusebius (1885). "Book III/Chapter 1" . Church History . §1 – via Wikisource.
  87. ^ Patrologia Graeca (Migne), 19–24., 20.215.
  88. ^ Bickell, S. Ephraemi Syri, Caramina Nisibena, Lipsiae, 1866; Monsignor Lamy, S. Ephraemi Syri Hymni et Sermones, (Quarto 4 vols.); Breviary acc. to the Rite of the Church of Antioch of the Syrians, Mosul, 1886–96. Medlycott 1905, pp. 21–32 Alias Menachery (Ed.) STCEI, II, pp. 18ff.
  89. ^ Homil. XXXII, xi, Contra Arianos et de seipso. Migne, PG 36-228.
  90. ^ 20th Century Discussions : Medlycott 1905, pp. 42–43; Perumalil 1971, pp. 43, 44
  91. ^ Migne, P-L 140 1143. (Also see 17. 1131, 17.1133, for his Indian knowledge.)
  92. ^ 20th Century Discussions : Medlycott 1905, pp. 43–44; Perumalil 1971, pp. 44–45, Perumalil and Menachery (STCEI I, II), Migne Edns.; Wm. A. Jurgens, Faith of the Early Fathers:etc. History of Christianity-Source Materials by M. K. George, CLS, Madras, 1982 and the Handbook of Source Materials by Wm. G. Young. Ferroli 1939, pp. 71-; Hunt 1920, pp. 27, 33, 46–50; G.T. Mackenzie, i.c.s., "History of Christianity in Travancore", in The Travancore State Manual, Vol-II, Edited by Nagam Aiya, Trivandrum 1906, pp. 135–233; Menachery, STCEI, I, II.
  93. ^ Medlycott 1905, p. 71.
  94. ^ Luke 2:49
  95. ^ a b Collins 2007, p. 119.
  96. ^ Antony 2019.
  97. ^ Thadikatt 2004, p. 114.
  98. ^ Noegel & Wheeler 2002, p. 86.
  99. ^ Nisha, Joe (3 August 2011). "Santhome Basilica in Chennai – A Historical Pilgrimage". India Study Channel. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Sources edit

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  • Cureton, W. (1864). Ancient Syriac Documents Relative to the Earliest Establishment of Christianity in Edessa and the Neighbouring Countries, from the Year After Our Lord Ascension, to the Beginning of the Fourth Century. London: Williams and Norgate.
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Further reading edit

  • Ælfric of Eynsham (1881). "Of Saint Thomas the Apostle" . Ælfric's Lives of Saints. London, Pub. for the Early English text society, by N. Trübner & co.
  • George Menachery, Ed., The Nazranies, Indian Church History Classics, Vol.1, 1998, esp.books fully reproduced in it by Mackenzie, Medlycott, Farquar& many others.
  • Most, Glenn W. (2005). Doubting Thomas. Cambridge, Mass., London: Harvard University Press. (a study in the reception of Thomas' story in literature and art).
  • Nicholl, Charles (8 November 2012). "The Other Thomas". London Review of Books. 34 (21): 39–43. from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  • Perrier, Pierre; Xavier, Walter (2008), Thomas Fonde L'église En Chine (65–68 Ap J.-C.) [Thomas founder of the church in China (65–68 AD)] (in French), Paris: Jubilé, ISBN 9782866794828
  • Richards, William Joseph (1908). The Indian Christians of St. Thomas: Otherwise Called the Syrian Christians. London: Bemrose.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Thomas.
 
Wikisource has the text of a 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article about Thomas the Apostle.
  • Apostle in India, The tomb of the Apostle
  • St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church – Greater Washington
  • A.E. Medlycott, India and the Apostle Thomas, London 1905 (e-text)
  • The Nasrani Syrian Christians Network
  • Passages to India
  • at the Wayback Machine (archived 20 July 2011)
  • The Little Gospel of St Thomas (Sri Lankan film dramatisation)

December 24, 2023
thomas, apostle, greek, Θωμᾶς, syriac, ܬܐܘܡܐ, tʾōmā, meaning, twin, also, known, didymus, greek, Δίδυμος, didymos, meaning, twin, twelve, apostles, jesus, according, testament, thomas, commonly, known, doubting, thomas, because, initially, doubted, resurrectio. Thomas the Apostle Greek 8wmᾶs Syriac ܬܐܘܡܐ Tʾōma meaning the twin a also known as Didymus Greek Didymos Didymos meaning twin was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament Thomas is commonly known as Doubting Thomas because he initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ when he was told of it as is related in the Gospel of John he later confessed his faith My lord and my God on seeing the wounds left over from the crucifixion SaintThomas the ApostleSt Thomas c 1611 by Peter Paul RubensApostle Preacher MartyrBorn1st century ADGalilee Judea Roman Empire 1 DiedAD 72St Thomas Mount Chola Kingdom present day Tamil Nadu India Venerated inAll Christian denominations that venerate saints especially Saint Thomas ChristiansCanonizedPre CongregationMajor shrineSt Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Mylapore Chennai India St Thomas Major Archi Episcopal Shrine Palayoor Kerala India Basilica of St Thomas the Apostle in Ortona ItalyFeast3 July Latin Church Liberal Catholic Church Anglican Communion Malankara Orthodox Church Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church Syro Malabar Catholic Church Syro Malankara Catholic Church Believers Eastern Church Syriac Catholic Church 2 21 December Malankara Orthodox Church some Anglican Communion Hispanic church Traditional Catholics Lutherans 26 Pashons and Sunday after Easter Thomas Sunday Coptic Christianity 3 6 October and Sunday after Easter Thomas Sunday Eastern OrthodoxAttributesThe Twin placing his finger in the side of Christ nelumbo nucifera spear means of his Christian martyrdom square his profession a builder PatronageArchitects for Christians in India including Saint Thomas Christians and Archdiocese of Madras Mylapore Tamil Nadu Sri Lanka and Pula Croatia Thomas the Apostle detail of the mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale Ravenna 6th centuryAccording to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of modern day states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India Saint Thomas travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel travelling as far as the Mylapore which is in South India Tamil Nadu India 1 4 5 6 and reached Muziris modern day North Paravur and Kodungalloor in Kerala State India in AD 52 7 8 1 In 1258 some of the relics were brought to Ortona in Abruzzo Italy where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle 9 He is regarded as the patron saint of India among its Christian adherents 10 11 and the Feast of Saint Thomas on July 3 is celebrated as Indian Christians Day 12 13 The name Thomas remains quite popular among the Saint Thomas Christians of the Indian subcontinent Many churches in the Middle East and southern Asia besides India also mention Apostle Thomas in their historical traditions as being the first evangelist to establish those churches the Assyrian Church of the East 14 the early church of Sri Lanka 15 Contents 1 Gospel of John 2 Names and etymologies 2 1 Other names 2 2 Feast days 3 Later history and traditions 3 1 Mission in India 4 Death 4 1 Possible visit to China 4 2 Possible travel into Indonesia 4 3 Paraguayan legend 4 4 Relics 4 4 1 Mylapore 4 4 2 Edessa 4 4 3 Chios and Ortona 4 4 4 Iraq 5 Succession 6 See of St Thomas the Apostle 7 Historical references 7 1 Acts of Thomas 8 Doctrine of the Apostles 8 1 Origen 8 2 Eusebius 8 3 Ephrem the Syrian 8 4 Gregory of Nazianzus 8 5 Ambrose of Milan 8 6 Gregory of Tours 9 Writings 10 Saint Thomas Cross 11 In Islam 12 Major shrine 12 1 Santhome Church 13 See also 14 References 14 1 Notes 14 2 Citations 14 3 Sources 14 4 Further reading 15 External linksGospel of John editThomas first speaks in the Gospel of John In John 11 16 16 when Lazarus has recently died and the apostles do not wish to go back to Judea Thomas says Let us also go that we may die with him b Thomas speaks again in John 14 5 There Jesus had just explained that he was going away to prepare a heavenly home for his followers and that one day they would join him there Thomas reacted by saying Lord we know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way 17 John 20 24 29 18 tells how doubting Thomas was skeptical at first when he heard that Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to the other apostles saying Except I shall see on his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe 19 But when Jesus appeared later and invited Thomas to touch his wounds and behold him Thomas showed his belief by saying My lord and my God 20 Jesus then said Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed 21 Names and etymologies editThe name Thomas Greek 8wmᾶs given for the apostle in the New Testament is derived from the Aramaic ת או מ א Tʾōma 22 23 Syriac ܬܐܘ ܡ ܐ ܬ ܐܘܡ ܐ Tʾōma Taʾwma meaning the twin and cognate to Hebrew ת או ם tʾom The equivalent term for twin in Greek which is also used in the New Testament is Didymos Didymos Other names edit The Nag Hammadi copy of the Gospel of Thomas begins These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymus Judas Thomas recorded Early Syrian traditions also relate the apostle s full name as Judas Thomas c Some have seen in the Acts of Thomas written in east Syria in the early 3rd century or perhaps as early as the first half of the 2nd century an identification of Thomas with the apostle Judas Son of James However the first sentence of the Acts follows the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in distinguishing the apostle Thomas and the apostle Judas son of James Others such as James Tabor identify him as Jude brother of Jesus mentioned by Mark In the Book of Thomas the Contender part of the Nag Hammadi library he is alleged to be a twin to Jesus Now since it has been said that you are my twin and true companion examine yourself 24 A Doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience a reference to the Gospel of John s depiction of the Apostle Thomas who in John s account refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles until he could see and feel Jesus crucifixion wounds Feast days edit When the feast of Saint Thomas was inserted in the Roman calendar in the 9th century it was assigned to 21 December The Martyrology of St Jerome mentioned the apostle on 3 July the date to which the Roman celebration was transferred in 1969 so that it would no longer interfere with the major ferial days of Advent 25 Traditionalist Roman Catholics who follow the General Roman Calendar of 1960 or earlier the Lutheran Church and many Anglicans including members of the Episcopal Church as well as members of the Church of England who worship according to the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer 26 still celebrate his feast day on 21 December However most modern liturgical calendars including the Common Worship calendar of the Church of England prefer 3 July Thomas is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival 27 The Eastern Orthodox venerates Thomas on the following days June 20 Commemoration of the Translation of the Relics of the Apostles Andrew Thomas and Luke the Prophet Elisha and the Martyr Lazarus 28 29 June 30 The Twelve Apostles 30 October 6 Primary feast day 31 The First Sunday after Easter The Sunday of Thomas which commemorate when Thomas doubts regarding the risen Christ was removed by his touching of Christ s side 32 Thomas is also associated with the Arabian or Arapet icon of the Theotokos Mother of God which is commemorated on 6 September 33 The Malankara Orthodox Church celebrates his feast on three days 3 July in memory of the relic translation to Edessa 18 December the Day he was lanced and 21 December when he died 34 Later history and traditions editThe Passing of Mary adjudged heretical by Pope Gelasius I in 494 was attributed to Joseph of Arimathea 35 36 The document states that Thomas was the only witness of the Assumption of Mary into heaven The other apostles were miraculously transported to Jerusalem to witness her death Thomas was left in India but after her first burial he was transported to her tomb where he witnessed her bodily assumption into heaven from which she dropped her girdle In an inversion of the story of Thomas doubts the other apostles are skeptical of Thomas story until they see the empty tomb and the girdle 37 Thomas receipt of the girdle is commonly depicted in medieval and pre Council of Trent Renaissance art 38 39 Mission in India edit Main articles Saint Thomas Christians Christianity in India and Christianity in Kerala nbsp The Postal Department of India issued a stamp commemorating his mission to the country nbsp Map of ancient Silk Road and Spice RouteAccording to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of India the Apostle Thomas landed in Muziris Cranganore on the Kerala coast in AD 52 and was martyred in Mylapore near Madras Tamil Nadu in AD 72 7 8 1 4 The port was destroyed in 1341 by a massive flood that realigned the coasts He is believed by the Saint Thomas Christian tradition to have established seven churches communities in Kerala These churches are at Kodungallur Palayoor Kottakkavu Paravur Kokkamangalam Niranam Nilackal Chayal Kollam and Thiruvithamcode 40 Thomas baptized several families 41 Many families claim to have origins almost as far back as these and the religious historian Robert Eric Frykenberg notes that Whatever dubious historicity may be attached to such local traditions there can be little doubt as to their great antiquity or to their great appeal in the popular imagination 42 It was to a land of dark people he was sent to clothe them by Baptism in white robes His grateful dawn dispelled India s painful darkness It was his mission to espouse India to the One Begotten The merchant is blessed for having so great a treasure Edessa thus became the blessed city by possessing the greatest pearl India could yield Thomas works miracles in India and at Edessa Thomas is destined to baptize peoples perverse and steeped in darkness and that in the land of India Hymns of Saint Ephrem edited by Lamy Ephr Hymni et Sermones IV Into what land shall I fly from the just I stirred up Death the Apostles to slay that by their death I might escape their blows But harder still am I now stricken the Apostle I slew in India has overtaken me in Edessa here and there he is all himself There went I and there was he here and there to my grief I find him quoted in Medlycott 1905 Ch II Ephrem the Syrian a doctor of Syriac Christianity writes in the forty second of his Carmina Nisibina that the Apostle was put to death in India and that his remains were subsequently buried in Edessa brought there by an unnamed merchant 43 nbsp The tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Mylapore IndiaAccording to Eusebius record Thomas and Bartholomew were assigned to Parthia and northwest India 44 45 46 47 The Didascalia dating from the end of the 3rd century states India and all countries condering it even to the farthest seas received the apostolic ordinances from Judas Thomas who was a guide and ruler in the church which he built According to traditional accounts Thomas is believed to have left northwest India when an attack threatened and traveled by vessel to the Malabar Coast possibly visiting southeast Arabia and Socotra en route and landing at the former flourishing port of Muziris modern day North Paravur and Kodungalloor c AD 50 in the company of a Jewish merchant Abbanes Habban Schonfield 1984 125 40 better source needed From there he is said to have preached the gospel throughout the Malabar coast The various churches he founded were located mainly on the Periyar River and its tributaries and along the coast where there were Jewish colonies In accordance with apostolic custom Thomas ordained teachers and leaders or elders who were reported to be the earliest ministry of the Malankara Church citation needed Death edit nbsp Martyrdom of Saint Thomas by Peter Paul Rubens 1636 1638 in the National Gallery Prague nbsp The reliquary of the spear which killed St Thomas in Chennai IndiaAccording to Syrian Christian tradition Thomas was killed with a spear at St Thomas Mount in Chennai on 3 July in AD 72 and his body was interred in Mylapore Latin Church tradition holds 21 December as his date of death 48 Ephrem the Syrian states that the Apostle was killed in India and that his relics were taken then to Edessa This is the earliest known record of his death 49 The records of Barbosa from the early 16th century record that the tomb was then maintained by a Muslim who kept a lamp burning there 50 The St Thomas Cathedral Basilica Chennai Tamil Nadu India presently located at the tomb was first built in the 16th century by the Portuguese and rebuilt in the 19th century by the British 51 St Thomas Mount has been a site revered by Muslims and Christians since at least the 16th century 52 Possible visit to China edit Thomas s alleged visit to China is mentioned in the books and church traditions of Saint Thomas Christians in India 53 who for a part claim descent from the early Christians evangelized by Thomas the Apostle in AD 52 For example it is found in the Malayalam ballad Thoma Ramban Pattu The Song of the Lord Thomas with the earliest manuscript being from the 17th century 54 The sources clearly have Thomas coming to India then to China and back to India where he died 53 In other attested sources the tradition of making Thomas the apostle of China is found in the Law of Christianity Fiqh al naṣraniyya 55 a compilation of juridical literature by Ibn al Ṭayyib Nestorian theologian and physician who died in 1043 in Baghdad Later in the Nomocanon of Abdisho bar Berika metropolitan of Nisibis and Armenia died in 1318 and the breviary of the Chaldean Church 56 it is written 1 Through St Thomas the error of idolatry vanished from India 2 Through St Thomas the Chinese and Ethiopians were converted to the truth 3 Through St Thomas they accepted the sacrament of baptism and the adoption of sons 4 Through St Thomas they believed in and confessed the Father the Son and Holy Spirit 5 Through St Thomas they preserved the accepted faith of the one God 6 Through St Thomas the life giving splendors rose in all India 7 Through St Thomas the Kingdom of Heaven took wing and ascended to China Translated by Athanasius Kircher in China Illustrata 1667 Office of St Thomas for the Second Nocturn Gaza of the Church of St Thomas of Malabar Chaldean Breviary In its nascent form this tradition is found at the earliest in the Zuqnin Chronicle AD 775 and may have originated in the late Sasanian period 57 58 Perhaps it originated as a 3rd century pseudepigraphon where Thomas would have converted the Magi in the Gospel of Matthew to Christianity as they dwelled in the land of Shir land of Seres Tarim Basin near what was the world s easternmost sea for many people in antiquity 59 Additionally the testimony of Arnobius of Sicca active shortly after AD 300 maintains that the Christian message had arrived in India and among the Persians Medians and Parthians along with the Seres 60 Possible travel into Indonesia edit According to Kurt E Koch Thomas the Apostle possibly traveled into Indonesia via India with Indian traders 61 Paraguayan legend edit Ancient oral tradition retained by the Guarani tribes of Paraguay claims that the Apostle Thomas was in Paraguay and preached to them under the name of Pai Sume or Avare Sume 62 in the estate of our college called Paraguay and twenty leagues distant from Asumpcion This place stretches out on one side into a pleasant plain affording pasture to a vast quantity of cattle on the other where it looks towards the south it is surrounded by hills and rocks in one of which a cross piled up of three large stones is visited and held in great veneration by the natives for the sake of St Thomas for they believe and firmly maintain that the Apostle seated on these stones as on a chair formerly preached to the assembled Indians Dobrizhoffer 1822 p 385 Almost 150 years prior to Dobrizhoffer s arrival in Paraguay another Jesuit Missionary F J Antonio Ruiz de Montoya recollected the same oral traditions from the Paraguayan tribes He wrote The paraguayan tribes they have this very curious tradition They claim that a very holy man Thomas the Apostle himself whom they call Pai Thome lived amongst them and preached to them the Holy Truth wandering and carrying a wooden cross on his back Ruiz de Montoya 1639 Ch XVIII The sole recorded research done about the subject was during Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia s reign after the Independence of Paraguay This is mentioned by Franz Wisner von Morgenstern an Austro Hungarian engineer who served in the Paraguayan armies prior and during the Paraguayan War According to Von Morgenstern some Paraguayan miners while working nearby some hills at the Caaguazu Department found some stones with ancient letters carved in them Dictator Francia sent his finest experts to inspect those stones and they concluded that the letters carved in those stones were Hebrew like symbols but they couldn t translate them nor figure out the exact date when those letters were carved 63 No further recorded investigations exists and according to Wisner people believed that the letters were made by Thomas the Apostle following the tradition Relics edit nbsp Shrine of Saint Thomas in Mylapore 18th century print nbsp Relics of Thomas in the Cathedral of OrtonaMylapore edit Traditional accounts say that the Apostle Thomas preached not only in Kerala but also in other parts of Southern India and a few relics are still kept at San Thome Basilica in Mylapore neighborhood in the central part of the city of Chennai in India 64 Marco Polo the Venetian traveller and author of Description of the World popularly known as Il Milione is reputed to have visited Southern India in 1288 and 1292 The first date has been rejected as he was in China at the time but the second date is generally accepted 64 Edessa edit According to tradition in AD 232 the greater portion of relics of the Apostle Thomas are said to have been sent by an Indian king and brought from Mylapore to the city of Edessa Mesopotamia on which occasion his Syriac Acts were written The Indian king is named as Mazdai in Syriac sources Misdeos and Misdeus in Greek and Latin sources respectively which has been connected to the Bazdeo on the Kushan coinage of Vasudeva I the transition between M and B being a current one in Classical sources for Indian names 65 The martyrologist Rabban Sliba dedicated a special day to both the Indian king his family and Saint Thomas Coronatio Thomae apostoli et Misdeus rex Indiae Johannes eus filius huisque mater Tertia Coronation of Thomas the Apostle and Misdeus king of India together with his son Johannes thought to be a latinization of Vizan and his mother Tertia Rabban Sliba Bussagli 1965 p 255 In the 4th century the martyrium erected over his burial place brought pilgrims to Edessa In the 380s Egeria described her visit in a letter she sent to her community of nuns at home Itineraria Egeriae 66 We arrived at Edessa in the Name of Christ our God and on our arrival we straightway repaired to the church and memorial of saint Thomas There according to custom prayers were made and the other things that were customary in the holy places were done we read also some things concerning saint Thomas himself The church there is very great very beautiful and of new construction well worthy to be the house of God and as there was much that I desired to see it was necessary for me to make a three days stay there According to Theodoret of Cyrrhus the bones of Saint Thomas were transferred by Cyrus I Bishop of Edessa from the martyrium outside of Edessa to a church in the south west corner of the city on 22 August 394 67 In 441 the Magister militum per Orientem Anatolius donated a silver coffin to hold the relics 68 In AD 522 Cosmas Indicopleustes called the Alexandrian visited the Malabar Coast He is the first traveller who mentions Syrian Christians in Malabar in his book Christian Topography He mentions that in the town of Kalliana Quilon or Kollam there was a bishop who had been consecrated in Persia 69 In 1144 the city was conquered by the Zengids and the shrine destroyed 68 Chios and Ortona edit nbsp Ortona s Basilica of Saint ThomasThe reputed relics of Saint Thomas remained at Edessa until they were moved to Chios in 1258 70 Some portion of the relics were later transferred again and now rest in the Cathedral of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Ortona Italy However the skull of Thomas is said to be at Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on the Greek island of Patmos 71 Ortona s three galleys reached the island of Chios in 1258 led by General Leone Acciaiuoli Chios was considered the island where Thomas after his death in India had been buried A portion fought around the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands the other in the sea lapping at the then Syrian coast The three galleys of Ortona moved on the second front of the war and reached the island of Chios The tale is provided by Giambattista De Lectis physician and writer of the 16th century of Ortona After the looting the navarca Ortona Leone went to pray in the main church of the island of Chios and was drawn to a chapel adorned and resplendent with lights An elderly priest through an interpreter informed him that in that oratory was venerated the Body of Saint Thomas the Apostle Leone filled with an unusual sweetness gathered in deep prayer At that moment a light hand twice invited him to come closer The navarca Leone reached out and took a bone from the largest hole of the tombstone on which were carved the Greek letters and a halo depicted a bishop from the waist up He was the confirmation of what he had said the old priest and that you are indeed in the presence of the Apostle s body He went back on the galley and planned the theft for the next night along with fellow Ruggiero Grogno They lifted the heavy gravestone and watched the underlying relics The wrapped in snow white cloths them laid in a wooden box stored at Ortona to the looting of 1566 and brought them aboard the galley Leone then along with other comrades he returned again in the church took the tombstone and took her away Just the Chinardo admiral was aware of the precious cargo moved all the sailors of the Muslim faith on other ships and ordered him to take the route to Ortona nbsp Portal of Ortona Saint Thomas BasilicaHe landed at the port of Ortona 6 September 1258 According to the story of De Lectis he was informed the abbot Jacopo was responsible for Ortona Church which predisposed full provision for hospitality felt and shared by all the people Since then the body of the apostle and the gravestone are preserved in the crypt of the Basilica In 1259 a parchment written in Bari by the court under John Peacock contracts the presence of five witnesses preserved in Ortona at the Diocesan Library confirming the veracity of that event reported as mentioned by Giambattista De Lectis physician and writer Ortona of the 16th century The relics resisted both the Saracen looting of 1566 and the destruction of the Nazis in the battle of Ortona fought in late December 1943 The basilica was blown up because the belfry was considered a lookout point by the allies coming by sea from San Vito Chietino The relics together with the treasure of Saint Thomas were intended by the Germans to be sold but the monks entombed them inside the bell tower the only surviving part of the semi ruined church nbsp Slab of chalcedony which covered the Apostle s relics at Chios now in the Basilica of Ortona 5 The tombstone of Thomas brought to Ortona from Chios along with the relics of the Apostle are preserved in the crypt of St Thomas Basilica behind the altar The urn containing the bones is placed under the altar It is the cover of a fake coffin fairly widespread burial form in the early Christian world as the top of a tomb of less expensive material The plaque has an inscription and a bas relief that refer in many respects to the Syro Mesopotamian Tombstone Thomas the Apostle on inclusion can be read in Greek characters uncial the expression osios thomas that Saint Thomas It can be dated from the point of view palaeographic and lexical to the 3rd 5th century a time when the term osios is still used as a synonym of aghios in that holy is he that is in the grace of God and is inserted in the church the two vocabulary therefore indicate the Christians In the particular case of Saint Thomas plaque the word osios can be the translation of the word Syriac mar Lord attributed in the ancient world but also to the present day is a saint to be a bishop Iraq edit The finger bones of Saint Thomas were discovered during restoration work at the Church of Saint Thomas in Mosul Iraq in 1964 72 and were housed there until the Fall of Mosul after which the relics were transferred to the Monastery of Saint Matthew on 17 June 2014 73 74 Succession editAs per the tradition of Saint Thomas Christians St Thomas the Apostle established his throne in India and ordained Mar Keppa a Chera prince as his successor 75 See of St Thomas the Apostle editAs per the tradition of Saint Thomas Christians Saint Thomas the Apostle established his throne in India and India was his See Kolla Hendo therefore the see of the metropolitan of Saint Thomas Christians was India and used the title Metropolitan and Gate of all India 76 In Syriac Manuscript Vatican Syriac Codex 22 the title given for the Metropolitan of the Saint Thomas Christians was the superintendent and ruler of the holy see of St Thomas the Apostle Historical references edit nbsp By the command of an Indian King he was thrust through with lances 1739 engravingA number of early Christian writings written during the centuries immediately following the first Ecumenical Council of 325 mention Thomas mission The Transitus Mariae describes each of the apostles purportedly being temporarily transported to heaven during the Assumption of Mary Acts of Thomas edit The main source is the apocryphal Acts of Thomas sometimes called by its full name The Acts of Judas Thomas written circa 180 230 AD 77 78 These are generally regarded by various Christian religions as apocryphal or even heretical The two centuries that lapsed between the life of the apostle and the recording of this work cast doubt on their authenticity The king Misdeus or Mizdeos was infuriated when Thomas converted the queen Tertia the king s son Juzanes sister in law princess Mygdonia and her friend Markia Misdeus led Thomas outside the city and ordered four soldiers to take him to the nearby hill where the soldiers speared Thomas killing him After Thomas death Syphorus was elected the first presbyter of Mazdai by the surviving converts while Juzanes was the first deacon The names Misdeus Tertia Juzanes Syphorus Markia and Mygdonia c f Mygdonia a province of Mesopotamia may suggest Greek descent or cultural influences 78 Greek traders had long visited Muziris Greek kingdoms in northern India and Bactria founded by Alexander the Great were vassals dubious discuss of the Indo Parthians 79 nbsp The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by CaravaggioDoctrine of the Apostles editThe Doctrine of the Apostles as reflected in Cureton 1864 pp 32 34 attests that Thomas had written Christian doctrine from India India and all its own countries and those bordering on it even to the farther sea received the Apostle s hand of Priesthood from Judas Thomas who was Guide and Ruler in the Church which he built and ministered there In what follows the whole Persia of the Assyrians and Medes and of the countries round about Babylon even to the borders of the Indians and even to the country of Gog and Magog are said to have received the Apostles Hand of Priesthood from Aggaeus the disciple of Addaeus Cureton 1864 p 33 Origen edit Christian philosopher Origen taught with great acclaim in Alexandria and then in Caesarea 80 He is the first known writer to record the casting of lots by the Apostles Origen s original work has been lost but his statement about Parthia falling to Thomas has been preserved by Eusebius Origen in the third chapter of his Commentary on Genesis says that according to tradition Thomas s allotted field of labour was Parthia 81 82 83 Eusebius edit Quoting Origen Eusebius of Caesarea says When the holy Apostles and disciples of our Saviour were scattered over all the world Thomas so the tradition has it obtained as his portion Parthia 84 Judas who is also called Thomas has a role in the legend of king Abgar of Edessa Urfa for having sent Thaddaeus to preach in Edessa after the Ascension 85 86 Ephrem the Syrian also recounts this legend 87 Ephrem the Syrian edit Many devotional hymns composed by Ephrem the Syrian bear witness to the Edessan Church s strong conviction concerning Thomas s Indian Apostolate There the devil speaks of Thomas as the Apostle I slew in India Also The merchant brought the bones to Edessa 88 Another hymn eulogizing Saint Thomas reads The bones the merchant hath brought In his several journeyings to India And thence on his return All riches which there he found Dirt in his eyes he did repute when to thy sacred bones compared In yet another hymn Ephrem speaks of the mission of Thomas The earth darkened with sacrifices fumes to illuminate a land of people dark fell to thy lot a tainted land Thomas has purified India s dark night was flooded with light by Thomas Medlycott 1905 pp 21 32 dubious discuss better source needed Gregory of Nazianzus edit nbsp Ancient mosaic of the Apostle ThomasGregory of Nazianzus was born AD 330 consecrated a bishop by his friend Basil of Caesarea in 372 his father the Bishop of Nazianzus induced him to share his charge In 379 the people of Constantinople called him to be their bishop By the Eastern Orthodox Church he is emphatically called the Theologian 89 What were not the Apostles strangers amidst the many nations and countries over which they spread themselves Peter indeed may have belonged to Judea but what had Paul in common with the gentiles Luke with Achaia Andrew with Epirus John with Ephesus Thomas with India Mark with Italy 90 better source needed Ambrose of Milan edit Ambrose of Milan was thoroughly acquainted with the Greek and Latin Classics and had a good deal of information on India and Indians He speaks of the Gymnosophists of India the Indian Ocean the river Ganges etc a number of times 91 This admitted of the Apostles being sent without delay according to the saying of our Lord Jesus Even those Kingdoms which were shut out by rugged mountains became accessible to them as India to Thomas Persia to Matthew 92 better source needed Gregory of Tours edit The testimony of Gregory of Tours died 594 Thomas the Apostle according to the narrative of his martyrdom is stated to have suffered in India His holy remains corpus after a long interval of time were removed to the city of Edessa in Syria and there interred In that part of India where they first rested stand a monastery and a church of striking dimensions elaborately adorned and designed This Theodore who had been to the place narrated to us 93 Writings editLet none read the gospel according to Thomas for it is the work not of one of the twelve apostles but of one of Mani s three wicked disciples Cyril of Jerusalem Catechesis V 4th century In the first two centuries of the Christian era a number of writings were circulated It is unclear now why Thomas was seen as an authority for doctrine although this belief is documented in Gnostic groups as early as the Pistis Sophia In that Gnostic work Mary Magdalene one of the disciples says Now at this time my Lord hear so that I speak openly for thou hast said to us He who has ears to hear let him hear Concerning the word which thou didst say to Philip Thou and Thomas and Matthew are the three to whom it has been given to write every word of the Kingdom of the Light and to bear witness to them hear now that I give the interpretation of these words It is this which thy light power once prophesied through Moses Through two and three witnesses everything will be established The three witnesses are Philip and Thomas and Matthew Pistis Sophia 1 43 An early non Gnostic tradition may lie behind this statement which also emphasizes the primacy of the Gospel of Matthew in its Aramaic form over the other canonical three Besides the Acts of Thomas there was a widely circulated Infancy Gospel of Thomas probably written in the later 2nd century and probably also in Syria which relates the miraculous events and prodigies of Jesus boyhood This is the document which tells for the first time the familiar legend of the twelve sparrows which Jesus at the age of five fashioned from clay on the Sabbath day which took wing and flew away The earliest manuscript of this work is a 6th century one in Syriac This gospel was first referred to by Irenaeus Ron Cameron notes In his citation Irenaeus first quotes a non canonical story that circulated about the childhood of Jesus and then goes directly on to quote a passage from the infancy narrative of the Gospel of Luke 94 Since the Infancy Gospel of Thomas records both of these stories in relative close proximity to one another it is possible that the apocryphal writing cited by Irenaeus is in fact what is now known as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas Because of the complexities of the manuscript tradition however there is no certainty as to when the stories of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas began to be written down The best known in modern times of these documents is the sayings document that is being called the Gospel of Thomas a noncanonical work whose date is disputed The opening line claims it is the work of Didymos Judas Thomas whose identity is unknown This work was discovered in a Coptic translation in 1945 at the Egyptian village of Nag Hammadi near the site of the monastery of Chenoboskion Once the Coptic text was published scholars recognized that an earlier Greek translation had been published from fragments of papyrus found at Oxyrhynchus in the 1890s Saint Thomas Cross editMain article Saint Thomas Christian cross nbsp Saint Thomas Christian crossIn the 16th century work Jornada Antonio Gouvea writes of ornate crosses known as Saint Thomas Crosses It is also known as Nasrani Menorah 95 Persian Cross or Mar Thoma Sleeva 96 These crosses are believed to date from the 6th century as per the tradition and are found in a number of churches in Kerala Mylapore and Goa Jornada is the oldest known written document to refer to this type of cross as a Saint Thomas Cross Gouvea also writes about the veneration of the Cross at Cranganore referring to the cross as Cross of Christians There are several interpretations of the Nasrani symbol The interpretation based on Christian Jewish tradition assumes that its design was based on Jewish menorah an ancient symbol of the Hebrews which consists of a seven branched lamp stand candelabra 95 The interpretation based on local culture states that the Cross without the figure of Jesus and with flowery arms symbolizing joyfulness points to the resurrection theology of Paul the Apostle the Holy Spirit on the top represents the role of Holy Spirit in the resurrection of Jesus Christ The lotus symbolizing Buddhism and the Cross over it shows that Christianity was established in the land of Buddha The three steps indicate Calvary and the rivulets channels of Grace flowing from the Cross 97 In Islam editThe Qur anic account of the disciples of Jesus does not include their names numbers or any detailed accounts of their lives Muslim exegesis however more or less agrees with the New Testament list and says that the disciples included Peter Philip Thomas Bartholomew Matthew Andrew James Jude John James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot 98 Major shrine editSanthome Church edit nbsp San Thome Church built in 1523Santhome Church is said to be the tomb of Saint Thomas in Chennai India 99 It was built in 1523 by Portuguese missionaries It is a national shrine basilica and cathedral It is an important site for Christians and a major shrine of Saint Thomas See also editBook of Thomas the Contender Syro Malabar Catholic Church Syro Malankara Catholic Church Syriac Orthodox Church Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Gospel of Barnabas List of patriarchs of the Church of the East Mar Thoma Syrian Church Quetzalcoatl an Aztec god that was thought a reflection of Thomas by some Catholic missionaries Saint Thomas of Mylapur Sao Tome St Thomas Church disambiguation for a listing of churches and chapels named in his honourReferences editNotes edit Hebrew ת אמ א השליח Coptic ⲑⲱⲙⲁⲥ Malayalam ത മ ശ ല ഹ All three occasions are discussed in detail by Dr Mathew Vallanickal Faith and Character of Apostle Thomas in The St Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India Vol II Trichur 1973 p 2 Judas Thomas as he is called in the Acta Thomae and elsewhere in Syriac tradition Thurston 1913 Citations edit a b c d Fahlbusch et al 2008 p 285 Liturgical Calendar December Latin mass society org Archived from the original on 5 February 2012 Retrieved 25 April 2010 The martyrdom of Thomas the Apostle The Day of Sinxar on the 26th of Bashnas the month of Bashnas the Coptic month st takla org in Arabic Archived from the original on 9 August 2020 Retrieved 24 February 2020 a b Slapak 1995 p 27 a b Medlycott 1905 Puthiakunnel 1973 a b Johnson amp Zacharia 2016 a b About Thomas The Apostle Archived from the original on 8 February 2011 Retrieved 2 December 2017 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Co Cathedral Basilica of St Thomas the Apostle GCatholic org Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 Retrieved 11 January 2015 Patron Saints of 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in Travancore in The Travancore State Manual Vol II Edited by Nagam Aiya Trivandrum 1906 pp 135 233 Menachery STCEI I II Medlycott 1905 p 71 Luke 2 49 a b Collins 2007 p 119 Antony 2019 Thadikatt 2004 p 114 Noegel amp Wheeler 2002 p 86 Nisha Joe 3 August 2011 Santhome Basilica in Chennai A Historical Pilgrimage India Study Channel Retrieved 18 July 2023 Sources edit Andrade Nathanael J 2018 The Journey of Christianity to India in Late Antiquity Networks and the Movement of Culture Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 1 108 41912 3 Antony M Thomas 17 February 2019 Saint Thomas Cross A Religio Cultural Logo of Saint Thomas Christians Nasrani net Archived from the original on 24 March 2020 Retrieved 16 June 2012 Arnobius of Sicca 1949 The Case Against the Pagans Vol 1 Translated by George E McCracken Paulist Press ISBN 978 0 8091 0248 8 Arraf Jane 31 March 2018 Iraq s Christians Remain Displaced This Easter NPR Archived from the original on 9 September 2021 Retrieved 18 May 2018 Bays 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Cordier ed Ser Marco Polo Notes and Addenda to Sir Henry Yule s Edition Containing the Results of Recent Research and Discovery Translated by Sir Henry Yule John Murray Medlycott Adolphus E 1905 India and the Apostle Thomas An Inquiry with a Critical Analysis of the Acta Thomae London David Nutt Mookerji Radhakumud 1966 Chandragupta Maurya and His Times Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 81 208 0405 0 Muthiah S 2014 Madras Rediscovered East West Press ISBN 978 93 85724 77 0 Neill Stephen 2004 A History of Christianity in India The Beginnings to AD 1707 Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 54885 4 Noegel Scott B Wheeler Brannon M 2002 Historical Dictionary of Prophets in Islam and Judaism Scarecrow ISBN 978 0 8108 4305 9 Norman Diana 1993 In imitation of Saint Thomas Aquinas art patronage and liturgy within a Renaissance chapel Renaissance Studies 7 1 42 doi 10 1111 j 1477 4658 1993 tb00266 x Panjikaran Joseph C 1926 Christianity in Malabar with Special Reference to the St Thomas Christians of the Syro Malabar Rite Rome Pont Institutum orientalium studiorum Perumalil A C 1971 The Apostles in India Patna Xavier Teachers Training Institute Puthiakunnel Thomas 1973 Jewish colonies of India paved the way for St Thomas In Menachery George ed The St Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India Vol 2 Trichur OCLC 1237836 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Robinson Joseph Armitage 1926 Two Glastonbury Legends King Arthur and St Joseph of Arimathea Cambridge University Press Ruiz de Montoya Antonio 1639 Chapter XVIII Conquista espiritual hecha por los religiosos de la Compania de Jesus en las provincias del Paraguay Parana Uruguay y Tape Madrid Sadasivan S N 2000 A Social History of India APH ISBN 978 81 7648 170 0 Sanidopoulos John 6 October 2010 The Skull of the Holy Apostle Thomas in Patmos Mystagogy Retrieved 10 May 2015 Segal J B 2005 Edessa the Blessed City Gorgias ISBN 1 59333 059 6 Slapak Orpa ed 1995 The Jews of India A Story of Three Communities Muzeon Yisrael ISBN 978 965 278 179 6 via University Press of New England Smith Vincent A 1914 Early History of India Oxford Clarendon Press Takahashi Hidemi 2011 China Syriac Christianity in in Brock Sebastian P Butts Aaron M Kiraz George A van Rompay Lucas eds Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage Electronic ed Gorgias Press Thadikatt Geo 2004 Liturgical Identity of Mar Thoma Nasrani Church Kottayam a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Thomas the Apostle n d The Book of Thomas NHC II 7 138 7 138 12 Translated by John D Turner Archived from the original on 30 January 2016 Thurston Herbert 1913 St Thomas the Apostle In Herbermann Charles ed Catholic Encyclopedia New York Robert Appleton Company Tubach Jurgen 1995 Der Apostel Thomas in China Die Herkunft einer Tradition The Apostle Thomas in China The origin of a tradition In Samuel V C Panicker Geevarghese Thekeparampil Rev Jacob eds The Harp in German Vol 8 9 Gorgias pp 397 430 Vadakkekara Benedict 2007 Origin of Christianity in India a historiographical critique Delhi Media House ISBN 978 81 7495 258 5 OCLC 166255572 von Morgenstern Franz Wisner 1998 El Dictador del Paraguay Jose Gaspar de Francia in Spanish Asuncion Paraguay Instituto Paraguayo Aleman Wright William ed 1871 Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles The Syriac texts Williams and Norgate Further reading edit AElfric of Eynsham 1881 Of Saint Thomas the Apostle AElfric s Lives of Saints London Pub for the Early English text society by N Trubner amp co George Menachery Ed The Nazranies Indian Church History Classics Vol 1 1998 esp books fully reproduced in it by Mackenzie Medlycott Farquar amp many others Most Glenn W 2005 Doubting Thomas Cambridge Mass London Harvard University Press a study in the reception of Thomas story in literature and art Nicholl Charles 8 November 2012 The Other Thomas London Review of Books 34 21 39 43 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 16 December 2012 Perrier Pierre Xavier Walter 2008 Thomas Fonde L eglise En Chine 65 68 Ap J C Thomas founder of the church in China 65 68 AD in French Paris Jubile ISBN 9782866794828 Richards William Joseph 1908 The Indian Christians of St Thomas Otherwise Called the Syrian Christians London Bemrose External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Thomas nbsp Wikisource has the text of a 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article about Thomas the Apostle Apostle in India The tomb of the Apostle Jacobite Syrian Christian Church St Thomas Indian Orthodox Church Greater Washington A E Medlycott India and the Apostle Thomas London 1905 e text Niranam Valiyapally and Saint Thomas The Nasrani Syrian Christians Network Passages to India Apostle of India at the Wayback Machine archived 20 July 2011 The Little Gospel of St Thomas Sri Lankan film dramatisation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas the Apostle amp oldid 1191147847, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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