Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman and all Western Martyrologies. By the Greeks on Oct. 6; the Christians of S. Thomas in India on July 1. The Greek Memeas, published by Chifletus and Sirmondi, on June 20, “ The Translation to Constantinople of the Tunic of S. Thomas/’ and those of certain other apostles. The Marble Kalendar of Naples (9th cent. ) on Sept 18, and again on Dec. 21, the Commemoration of S. Thomas the Apostle. The Passion of S. Thomas by all the Greek Menaeas and MenoIcgies, including that of the Emperor Basil, and that of Constantinople (8th cent.) on Oct. 6. In the Mart of Bsde, Dec. 21, is “Natalis S. Thomae; ” but in that of Usuardus, “ In Mesopotamia civitate Edessa translatio corporis S. Thomae apostoli, qui translatus est ab India, cujus passio ibidem celebrata v. non. Julii ” (July 3). So also Wan* delbert, “Translati Thomae celebrat duodenus honorem, A urea quo structore Dei cognoscere regnum India promeruit, signis comitata tremendis. ” According to the so-called Martyrology of Jerome, the Translation of relics, on July 3, and the “ Natalis ” on Dec. 21. In the Greek Church there is a commemoration of S. Thomas on the first Sunday after Easter. On Dec. 21, at S. Denis, near Paris, the special veneration of the hand of S. Thomas. In Milan anciently on May 9, the commemoration of S. Thomas, S. John, and S. Andrew.] HE name “Thomas ” means a twin, is so translated in John xi. 16, xxi. 2, and is the same as the Greek Didymus. This apostle is said by Eusebius to have been the same as Judas, in which case he was twin brother of S. James, and one of the Lord’s “brethren.” The Syriac Acts call him Judas Thomas, or Judas the Twin. But it is more probable that Judas is the same as Thaddeus. According to another account the apostle Thomas had a twin sister named Lydia. It is possible that his name may have been Judas, as well as that of two other apostles, and that he was generally designated as the Twin for the purpose of distinction. In the catalogues of the Apostles he is coupled with Matthew, in Matt. x. 3, Mark iii. 18, and Luke vi. 15; but with Philip, in Acts i. 13.
The Gospel of S. John is the only one which gives us much information concerning him. When our Lord spoke to His disciples of the dangers and death that awaited him in Judaea, Thomas said to his fellow-disciples, “ Let us also go, that we may die with him.” During the Last Supper, “ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way ? " He was absent when Christ appeared after the Resurrection to His apostles; the others told him what they- had seen. He broke forth into an expression of scepticism; the terms of his exclamation, however, show us what a strong impression had been made on his imagination by the sight of the dead body of Christ as he had seen it prepared for entombment. On the evening of Low Sunday he was with the rest of the apostles, when Jesus stood in the midst, and turning to Thomas bade him reach forth his hand and thrust it into His side, and put his fingers in the print of the nails. The effect on Thomas was immediate. The conviction produced by the removal of his doubt became deeper and stronger than that of any of the other apostles. The words in which he expressed his belief contain a far higher assertion of his Master’s Divine nature than is contained in any other expression used by apostolic lips, “My Lord and my God.” We only hear twice again in the New Testament of Thomas: once on the Sea of Galilee with the seven disciples, where he is ranked [Dec ax.
next after Peter, and again in the assemblage of the apostles after the Ascension. Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea (d. c. 339), the first historian of the Church] says that Thomas sent Thaddeus to Edessa, and went himself into Parthia. Sophronius, quoted by S. Jerome [translator of the Bible into Latin (d. 420)], says that he planted the standard of the Cross among Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and other neighbouring nations.
The later Greeks make him the apostle of India, following the apocryphal Acts. According to these Acts, he was appointed to India by the casting of lots. Then he said, “ I have not strength for this. I am weak. How can I, a Hebrew, teach the Indians ? ” But in the night our Lord appeared to him and said, “ Fear not, Thomas. My grace will be sufficient for thee." But he would not be persuaded, and said, “Whither Thou wilt, O Lord, but not to India." Whilst he was thus reasoning, a merchant of India, whose name was Habban, came from King Gudnaphar, or Gondophorus, in quest of a skilful carpenter. And our Lord met him in the street and said to him, “Thou wishest to obtain a carpenter. I have a slave for sale, well skilled in carpentering," and He indicated Thomas, and sold him to the merchant for twenty pieces of silver.1 A regular bill of sale was drawn up, and then Habban went to Thomas and said to him, u Is this your master? ” and he pointed to our Lord. Thomas sstd, “ Yes, He is my Master.” Then the merchant said, “ He has sold you to me outright.” And Thomas was silent And in the morning he arose and prayed, and entreated his Lord, “ As Thou wilt so be it.” And he went to Habban, carrying with him the twenty pieces of silver, his price, which the Lord returned to him. Then Thomas sailed with the merchant and came to the city of Sandarak.2 The next episode 1 It is clear from the Syriac Acts that Thomas is identified with Judas the brother of James, and is thus represented as a skilled carpenter, having been brought up in the house of Joseph to that trade. Further on our Lord says, "I am not Judas, but the brother of Judas ” (*>. Thomas). 9 In the Greek Acts Andropolis. S. Thomas.
is very beautiful. When Habban and his slave came to the city, they heard the sound of pipes and organs and much singing, for it was the wedding festival of the king's daughter. And the merchant and Thomas were invited to the feast. Thomas would not eat, but he took oil and anointed his heart and brow with a cross, and placed a wreath of myrtle on his head, and took a reed branch in his hand. Now there was present a flute-girl, a Hebrew maiden, and as she went round the party in the banquet-hall, she came opposite Judas (Thomas), but he would not look at her; he remained with his eyes cast down; only when she played on her pipes he broke forth into a beautiful song: “ My Church is the daughter of light, and the splendour of the king is hers. Her ways are comely and winning, fair and adorned with goodly works. Her garments glow as the flowers, and their fragrance is sweet. Her king hath crowned her, and He feeds all her servants. Truth is on her head, and her feet move with joy. Her beautiful mouth is open, and singeth songs of praise. The twelve apostles of the Son, and the seventy-two, thunder forth His praises in her. Her tongue is the veil which the priest lifteth as he entereth the temple. Her neck is a flight of stairs builded of the chief architect. Her hands point out the place of life, and with her ten fingers she opens the gate of heaven. Her bridal chamber is lighted with lamps and fragrant with the savour of salvation. A censer stands in the midst, on which smoke the grains of hope and faith and charity, gladdening all Truth dwells within, in humility. Her gates are adorned with truth; her groomsmen surround her, and her pure bridesmaids go before her, uttering praise. The living attend on her, looking for the coming of the Bridegroom, when they shall be resplendent with His glory, and shall dwell with Him in the kingdom that never shall pass away. And they shall be in the glory to which the just are gathered; and [Dec. ax they shall be at the festivity to which some enter; and they shall put on shining garments, and shall be clothed with the glory of their Lord. And they shall praise the living Father, whose majestic light has covered them, and they shall shine with the splendour of their Lord, of whose food they have partaken, and which never faileth, and have drunk of the life which makes those who drink of it long and thirst for more; and have glorified the Father, the Lord of all, and the only-begotten Son, who is of Him, and have praised the Spirit, His Wisdom.”
“ And when he had sung this song,” say the Syriac Acts, “ all who were beside him were looking on him, and saw that his aspect was changed; but they could not understand what he said, for he spake in Hebrew. Only the flute-girl had heard everything, for she was a Hebrew, and she was looking at him. And when she left him and played to others, her eyes still sought him, and she loved him as her own countryman; and in his looks he was more beautiful than all the rest. And when the flute-girl had finished, she sat down before him, and did not turn her eyes from him; but he did not look up, or at any one, but kept his eyes ever cast on the ground, waiting till he might retire.” In the evening our Lord appeared in the bridal chamber, and exhorted the king’s daughter and her bridegroom to mutual continence. And His appearance was so like that of Judas (Thomas) that they thought it was the merchant’s slave who spake to them. But in the morning, when the king heard of the impression produced on the hearts of his children by the words of the stranger, he was filled with rage, and went to the inn where the merchant and his slave had spent the night. But they were gone, and they found there the weeping flute-girl, “sitting still and weeping, because Judas-Thomas had not taken her with him. But when they told her what had happened, she was glad, and said, * I have found rest here.* And she arose, and went to the young people, and dwelt with them a long time.”
After a prosperous journey, the merchant and his slave reached India, and went to salute King Gudnaphar. “ The king ordered Judas into his presence, and said to him, ‘What art dost thou practise?* Judas said to him: ‘I am a carpenter and architect.* He saith to him: ‘ What art thou skilled to make?* Judas saith to him: ‘ In wood I make yokes and ploughs, and ox goads, and oars for barges and ferry-boats, and masts for ships; and in hewn stone, tombstones and monuments and palaces for kings/ The king saith to Judas: ‘And I want such an artificer. Wilt thou build me a palace?’ Judas saith to him: ‘I will build it and finish it, for I am come to work at building and carpentering/ ”
The king showed him the place where he wished his palace to be built, and bade the apostle trace its plan on the ground. “ And Judas took a cane and began to measure; and he left doors towards the east for light, and windows towards the west for air; and he put the bakehouse to the south, and the water-pipes for the service of the house to the north. The king saith to him: ‘ Verily thou art a good artificer/ and he left him a large sum of money, and departed.”
During the absence of the king, Thomas spent all the money among the poor, and when Gudnaphar returned from a distant journey he found his treasure dispersed and no palace built. In a rage he ordered Thomas to be cast into prison, and that next day he should be flayed alive, and then burnt But the king’s brother Gad had died: “ And when the soul left him, angels took it and bore it to heaven, and showed it each place in succession, and asked it in which it would like to be. Then, when they came to the palace which Judas had built for the king, his brother saw it, and said to the angels: i I beg of you, let me dwell in one of the lower chambers of this palace.' The angels say to him: 6 Thou canst not dwell in this palace, for it is that which the Christian hath built for thy brother.1 *' Then the soul of Gad was permitted to return to its body. And the prince, the king's brother, rose up, and told King Gudnaphar that he had seen in heaven a glorious mansion which the carpenter now in prison had built for him. Then the king released Thomas, and consented to be baptized, he and his brother. “And when they had entered into the bath-house, Judas went in before them. And our Lord appeared unto them, and said to them: * Peace be with you, my brethren.' And they heard the voice only, but the form they did not see, for they were not as yet baptized. And Judas went up, and stood on the edge of the cistern, and poured oil on their heads, and said: — ‘ Come, holy name of the Messiah ! come, power of grace, which art from on high ! come, perfect mercy ! come, exalted gift ! come, sharer of the blessing ! come, revealer of hidden mysteries ! come, mother of seven houses, whose rest is in the eighth house ! come, messenger of reconciliation, and communicate with the minds of these youths ! come, spirit of holiness, and purify their reins and hearts ! ' And he baptized them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit of Holiness. And when they had come out of the water, a youth appeared holding a lighted taper; and the light of the lamps waxed dull through its light. And when they had gone forth, he became invisible to them; and the apostle said: ‘ We were not able to bear Thy light, because it is too bright for our vision.* And when it dawned, he broke the Eucharist and let them partake of the table of the Messiah; and they were glad and rejoicing.'* The Acts say that S. Thomas suffered under Mazdai, 8. THOMAS. From the Vienna Missal.
Dec. ex. Dec. ax.] S. Thomas. probably a Masdaean prince in Persia; and relate that he was stabbed to death on the top of a hill by the soldiers of Mazdai. The Christians of S. Thomas in India pretended that his body lay at Meliapore, and had a chapel over it. John III. of Portugal had this body dug up and transported to Goa. Another body was translated to Edessa, and received veneration there in the time of S. Chrysostom [St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople (d. 407)]. The Roman Martyrology says: “At Calamina suffered S. Thomas,.... whose relics [the bodily remains of a saint, or objects they used, kept with honor] were first translated to Edessa and then to Ortona.” As there is no such place as Calamina, at all events in India, it is ingeniously suggested that Calamina is another name for Meliapore.
Gudnaphar, or Gondophorus, is not a mythical personage. An Aiano Pali inscription has been found at ShihbizGarhi, in the Yusufzai country, on the Punjaub frontier, which is now in the Lahore museum. This inscription bears the name of Gudupharasa, with the year of his reign, and the name of the month, &c. The date of the inscription is Samvat 103, the fourth day of the month Ves&kh (equivalent to a.d. 46), in the 26th year of the king's reign. The inscription itself is simply the record of a votive offering by a Buddhist worshipper, and the greater part of it is illegible.1 But it seems almost certain that this Gudupharasa is the Gudnaphar or Gondophorus of the Acts. Relics of the saint are shown at Goa, and at Ortona in Apulia. The hand, before the Revolution, in a reliquary given by John, duke of Berri, third son of King John of France, was shown at Saint Denis. It bore the inscription: “ Hie est manus beati Thomae, Apostoli, quam misit in latus Domini nostri Jesu Christi.”
S. Thomas is the patron saint of Portugal and of Parma. In the Greek pictures, S. Thomas is young and beardless; in Western art he is usually bearded. He is represented 1 TrObncr’s ** American and Oriental Literary Record,** vol. viii. p. 7S j [Dec. ax.
with a spear or an arrow in one hand, and a book of the gospels in the other. Frequently, however, instead of the spear, he has a builder's rule.
