A. E.

MEDLYCOTT: India and the Apostle Thomas

Medlycott, A E. India and the Apostle Thomas

in the Indian Church History Classics Ed. by Prof. George Menachery
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in the Indian Church History Classics Ed. by Prof. George Menachery

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A E Medlycott
India and the Apostle Thomas
An inquiry with a critical analysis of the Acta Thomae [The Acts of Judas Thomas]
Published by The South Asia Research Assistance Services.
Price US $ 165. Will be delivered in 25 days, time. Free airmail delivery.
Indian Church History Classics (ISBN 81-87133-04-X, Lib. Cong. Cat. Card. No.98-
908360 BX4714.120 ) Ed. by Prof. George Menachery

India and the Apostle Thomas, by A. E. Medlycott, offers readers an extensive

overview of the ancient literary materials pertaining to the apostle Thomas’s
mission to India. First published in 1905, this work returns in a Classic SARAS
reprint edition, making Medlycott’s work widely available to a new generation of
students, scholars, and other interested readers.

Table of Contents
Preface
The Apostle Thomas and Gondophares the Indian King
Thomas, The Apostle of India
Saint Thomas's Tomb in India
Further Historical and Traditional Records of the Apostle
The Alleged Apostles of India
Did a Disciple of Manes Go To India? Appendix: A Critical Analysis of the Acts of
Thomas

DETAILED CONTENTS
CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

The Apostle Thomas and Gondophares

the indian King - connection proved
from Coins and Inscription 189

CHAPTER II

THOMAS, THE APOSTLE OF INDIA

I. The Witness of St. Ephraem and
Syrian Writers 194

II. The Witness of the Liturgical Books

and Calendars of the Syrian Church 198

III. The Witness of the Fathers of the

Western Church 199

IV. The Witness of the Calendars, Sacramentaries,

and Martyrologies of the Western Church 200

V. The Witness of the Greek and

Abyssinian Churches 203

CHAPTER III

SAINT THOMAS’S TOMB IN INDIA

I. The Witness of St. Gregory of Tours,

a.d. 590. 204

II. King Alfred’s Embassy to the Shrine,

a.d. 883 206

III. Visited by Marco Polo, c. a.d. 1293 206

IV. Visited by Friar John of Monte Corvino,

a.d. 1292-1293 207

V. Mentioned by Blessed Oderic,

a.d. 1324-1325 207

VI. Visited by Bishop John de Marignolli,

a.d. 1349 207

VII. Visited by Nicolò de’ Conti, before

a.d. 1430 208

VIII. What Amr’, Son of Matthew, says,

c. a.d. 1340 208

IX. What the Nestorian Bishops

say, a.d. 1504 208

CHAPTER IV

FURTHER HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONAL

RECORDS OF THE APOSTLE

I. The Apostle’s Relics at Edessa

and Subsequent Removal 209

II. His Martyrdom Upheld 212

III. Different Versions of the Same 213

IV. Traditions Regarding the Apostle 214

V. The Question of ‘Calamina’ 216

VI. The ‘Maliarpha’ of Ptolemy 219

CHAPTER V

THE ALLEGED APOSTLES OF INDIA

I. St. Pantaenus
(SS. Bartholomew and Matthew) 220

II. St. Frumentius 222

III. Theophilus the Indian 223

CHAPTER VI

Did a Disciple of Manes go to India ? 225

APPENDIX

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ACTS OF THOMAS

SECTION I

preamble

1. Criteria 227

2. Are the Acts a Romance ? 227

3. Two Different Ancient Views of the Same 227

4. Gnostics and the Acts 227

5. Reasons in support 227

6. Criteria Applicable to the Acts 227

SECTION II

preliminary questions

7. Abdias, his Compilation 228

8. Acts of Thomas, Original Language 229

9. The Syriac Text of the Acts 229

10. The Greek Version 229

11. The Latin Versions 229

12. Other Versions 229

13. Acts of Thecla 230

14. Reconstruction of the Acta 231

15. Interpolated by Gnostics 233

16. Acts of Andrew also Adopted by Them 233

17. St. Gregory of Tours, Author of

De Miraculis Beati Andreae. 234

18. St. Gregory, probable Author of

De Miraculis Beati Thomae 235

SECTION III

the acts of Thomas discussed

19. Introduction 236

20. Thomas’s First Mission 236

21. Story of the Dream-Vision 236

22. Syriac text often Altered 237

23. Acts Dramatised - Act I 237

24. Thomas’s Second Mission Discussed-

Acts II., III., IV., V., VI., VII 238

25. Act VII.-Discussion Continued 239

26. A Romantic Interpolation 239

27. Act VIII.-Narrative 239

28. Act VIII Discussed-Gnostic Sects in Asia 240

29. Doctrinal Additions to Acts

of Thecla and Thomas 241

30. Baptism, whether by Oil 242

31. Eucharistic Celebrations 242

32. Incidents Omitted in present Syriac Text 243

33. Acts Disclose Indian and Hindu Customs 243

34. Names Mentioned in the Acts 244

35. Date of the Acts 246

36. The Martyrdom 247

37. The Removal of the

Apostle’s Relics from India 248

Notes 249

INDEX 261
The INDEX will throw some light on the exhaustiveness and authenticity of this
work of Medlycott:
INDEX

N.B. - The Index does not incorporate the Appendix

Abdagases, King, nephew of Gondophares ..189

Abgar, King of Edessa ..210

Abyssinia,..222,223,225

Achadabues,..194

Adana (Aden), and note..224,259

Adda, disciple of Manes,..226

Ado, Martyrology,..203

Aethalstan,..206

Aezana, Prince of Auxum (Abyssinia),..223

Alexander, monk of Cyprus, on the Gospel found on the body of St. Barnabas,..222

Alexander Severus, Emperor,..209

Alfred the Great, embassy to St. Thomas’s shrine in India,..206

Ambrose, St.,..199,251

Ammianus Marcellinus, ..194,223

Amr, son of Matthew,..208

Andrew, Abp. of Crete, ..255

Aramaic, language,..221

Archelaus, Bp. of Kaskar..226

Ardashir. See Xerses

Arghan, Khan of Persia,..207

Assemani, J. S...197,208,209,222,255
Asser, Bp. of Sherborne..206

Assumption to the B.V.Mary, ..257

Asterius, Metropolitan of Amesia..212

Athanasius, St.,..222,258

Auxum..225

Auxumitae..224,225

Bab-el-Mandeb, Straits of..224

Bagdad..208,215

Bardaisan..194

Barhebraeus..194,197,209,217

Barnabas, St., and the Gospel of St. Matthew..222

Baronius..203

Bartholomew, the Apostle, ..206

his mission to Arabia Felix,..222

Basil, Emperor,..203,213

Bede, St., the Venerable..200,203,217,218

Bedjan, Rev. P.,..209

Benedict XII., Pope..208

Bickell..194

Butler, Alban..203

Calamina, ..203,208
the name investigated..217,218

Calendar (Ecclesiastical) Roman, ..200

ancient Nestorian, ..196
Syrian, ..198
Jacobite Syrian, ..199
Nestorian, ..199
Greek, .. 203,204
Ethiopian ..204
Roman civil..200,205

Cannanore, the Rajah, or Bebee of..224

Caracalla, Antoninus, Emperor..221

Carmania. See Karman

Cassiodorus..201
Chios, island of..211

Chronicle, Anglo - Saxon, ..206

of Florence of Worcester, ..206
of William of Malmesbury ..206

Chronicon Edessenum, ..209,250

Chrysostom, St. John, ..200,254

Clement, of Alexandria,..212,221

Commodus, Emperor,..221

Constantine the Great,..223

Constantine Porphorogenitus,..203

Constantius, Emperor, ..223,259

Cordier, M. Henri, ..253,254

Cosmas Indicopleustes,..214,217,218,224,225

Conti. See Nicolò

Council of Nice,..217

Cranganore,..214,216

Ctesiphon, St. Mares, Bp. of,..198

See Seleucia-Ctesiphon

Cunningham, General, Sir Alexander, ..189

reads Takht-i-Bahi inscription,..190,192

Cureton, Dr. W.,..197

Cyprian, St.,..252

D’Anville, geographer,..220

David Clement, Syriac Abp. of Damascus,..196

De Rossi,..201-203

Dioscoris,..225 See Socotra

Dorotheus,..217

Dowson, Prof., reads the Takht-i-Bahi inscription,..192

Duchesne, Mgr. L.,..200-202,218

Ebed-Jesu,..197

Edessa, held the remains of thomas the Apostle, ..204 passim

Edisius,..222,223

Egeria. See Sylvia

Elias, Bp. of Damascus,..215

Ephraem, St., personal details,..194,249

his witness to the Indian apostolate of St. Thomas,..194,196,198

Epiphanius, St., Bp. of Constantia, Cyprus ff,..225

Erasmus,..217

Ethelward, Bp. of Sherborne,..253

Etheria. See Sylvia

Ethiopia,.. See Nubia,..205

Eugenius IV., Pope,..208

Eulogus, Bp. of Alexandria,..201

Eusebius, Bp. of Caesarea,..221,257

Eusebius, Bp. of Nicomedia,..224

Feriale Romanum,..200

Ferotin, Dom Marius,..211

Flavius Josephus,..221 ff.,..258

Florence of Worcester, his Chronicle,..206

Florentini (Florentius F.M.),..202

Florus,..217,218

Freeman, E.A., Prof.,..206

Frumentius, St., Apostle of Abyssinia,..222,223

Gardiner, Percy, on Gondophares’ coins,..190

Gaudentius, St., Bp. of Brescia,..199

Gelasius, Pope,..200

George, of Cappadocia,..223

Gildemeister,..217

Goar,..203

Gondophares, King, in the Acts of Thomas, ..189

his coins,..189,190
coin plate. See Takht-i-Bahi inscription

Gospel of St. Matthew, found in Arabia Felix, ff.;..221

another copy with the body of St. Barnabas,..222

Gospel of the Twelve Apostles, what it says of St. Thomas’s Apostolate,..216

Gregory, St.,the Great, Pope,..200,201

Gregory X., Pope,..207

Gregory XIII., Pope,..203

Gregory, St., Bp. of Nazianzus,..199,251

Gregory, St., Bp. of Nyssa,..214

Gregory, St., Bp. of Tours, offers the pilgrim Theodore’s witness to the Indian
tomb of St. Thomas,..204-206,257

Harmonius, son of Bar-Daisan,..249

Heracleon,..212

Heraclian, Bp. of Chalcedon,..261

Hermas (Hermeas), disciple of Manes,..226

Hippolytus, Pseudo,..217

Hohlenberg, H., of Copenhagen, essay on the evangelisation of India by the Apostle

Thomas,..251

Homeritae, ancient name for the people of Arabia Felix (alias Sabaei),..221,224

Indicopleustes. See Cosmas

Jacob, Bp. of Seleucia,..194

Jacob of Sarug,..198,217,218

Jacob Baradaeus,..199

Jacobite, (named after the former) section of the Syr. Church, witness to St.
Thomas’s Indian apostolate,..199,213

Jerome, St.,..199,226,258

Jesuab, Nestorian, Patriarch,..217,218

Job-Jesu,..194

John, St., the Evangelist,..216,257

John, St., of Damascus,..257

John, the Persian, Metropolitan of Persia, at the Council of Nice,..257

John, of Monte Corvino,206,207
created Abp. of Cambalec,..207
letters from India and China,..207
visits the Shrine of St. Thomas, Mylapore, ;..207,258
his death,207

Kalah,..217,218

Kam-Jesu,..194

Karman (Carmania),..208,209

Khabin, merchant of Edessa, who removed the remains of the Apostle Thomas to
Edessa,..214,249

Kodangulur. See Cranganore

Kublai, the great Khan,..207

Lamy, Mgr.,..196,198,258

Lequien, Dom Michael,..215,223

Lévi, Sylvain, on Gondophares’ coins,..190

Lingard, Dr. Alban,..206

Liturgical books,..203

Ludolf,..204

Madras,..204,206

Mailapur. See Mylapore

Maliarpha (Mylapore), so named by Ptolemy,..218-220

Malpuria (Mylapore),..208

Manes, ff.,..226

Marcellus, f.,..226

Marco Polo, visits St. Thomas’s shrine at Mylapore,..206,207,213-215

Mares, St., Bp. of Ctesiphon, evidence on St. Thomas’s mission,..198

Marignolli, John de’, Bp., visits St. Thomas’s tomb, Mylapore,..207,208,213,214

Marinus, Pope,..206

Martin, St., Bp. of Tours,..204

Martin, Pope,..206,210
Martyrologium Hieronymianum,..200 ff. passim

Martyrologium Romanum,..203,220,222

Matthew, St., the Evangelist, his mission to Ethiopia,..222,258

his Gospel found by Pantaenus,..221
and with the body of St. Barnabas,..222

McCrindle, J.W.,..219,192

Meilan (Mylapore),..208

Menaea,..203

Menologium,..203

Meropius,..222

Merv,..208

Metaphrastes,..203

Metrodorus,..222

Michael Palaeologus, Emperor,..207

Michaud,..211

Mirapor (Mylapore),..213

Mirapolis (Mylapore),..208

Modestus, Abp. of Jerusalem,..256

Monastery, at the Indian shrine of St. Thomas,..204,206

Mommsen, Theodore, ed. of Chronographus Anni CCCLIIII,..200

Muziris, ancient name of Cranganore,..216

Mylapore,..204,207,208,213,214

Nestorian heresy,..206,225
when established in India,..225,260
bishops,..208

Nestorian section of Syrian Church, witness to St. Thomas’s Indian

Apostolate,..199,208,213

Nestorians,..207,208,209,214,255

Nicoló, de Conti, visits St. Thomas’s tomb, Mylapore,..208

Nilgherries,..205

Nilus, of Constantinople,..212

Nisibis,..194,209
Nubia (Ethiopia), the Apostle Thomas said to have visited it,..198,213,215
the special field of St. Matthew’s mission. See Matthew, St.

Oderic, Bl., of Pordenone, mentions Indian tomb of St. Thomas,..207

removes the bones of the Franciscan martyrs of Tana,..207

Oecumenius,.217

Oman (Ostium maris Persici), now Sohar,..224

Ormuz,..218

Ortona à mare,..211,212

Palur, ancient church of wood replaced by first stone church in Malabar, a.d.
1600-1607 traditionally connected with St. Thomas,..251

Pantaenus, St.,..221,222,223

Parasang, Persian measure of travelling by road,..218

Parthia, the first mission of St. Thomas,..222

Paulinus, St., Bp. of Nola,..220,220

Paulinus a S. Barthol., Carmelite missionary in Malabar,..250

Perenich, Vic.-Genl., Archdeacon of Ortona,..211,212

Petavius,..226

Peter, St., Apostle,..215,216

Philipps, W.R.,..208,255

Philocalus, Roman caligraphist,..200

Philostorgius, Arian church historian ff.,..214,223

Photius,..223-225

Point de Galle,..218

Ptolemy, Alexandrian geographer,..205

his Maliarpha (Mylapore),..219,220

Qualah,..218

Quilon,..207
named also Palumbum, ibid., and Columbum,..208

Rapson, E.J., reads Indian and Greek legends of Gondophares’ coins,..189,190

Reinaud, first to detect connection between coins of Gondophares and Acts of

Thomas,..194,214,218,223

Rossi. See De Rossi

Rufinus, priest of Aquileia,..210,221,222,258
ff.,..258

Ruinart, Dom Theodore,..200,214

Sabaei,..222,223

Sacramentary, Leonine,..200

Gelasian, ibid.; Gregorian, ibid

Saint-Martin, Vivien de,..219

Sapor, King of Persia,..209

Saving-face policy,..214

Sazana, Prince of Auxum,..223

Seleucia-Ctesiphon, see of, dependent from that of Antioch,..194,225

Senart, reads Takht-i-Bahi inscription,..192

Seven churches of Malabar, traditionally connected with St. Thomas,..250

Seven Sleepers, Martyrs,..205

Sheba, Queen of,..221,223

Sighelm,..206

Signantius,..210,211

Silva, Reed da, Bp. of Mylapore,..214

Silvia, the pilgrim (probably Etheria or Egeria),..210,211

Smith-Vincent, A., on Gondophares’ coins,..190

Socotra,..214,215,217,224,225

Socrates, historian,..209,222

Solomo, Bp. of Bassorah,..250,198

Sozomen, historian,..209

Suidas,..225

Swithelm,..206

Synaxarium, Gr. Ch.,..203,213,216,217

Tacitus, historian,..221

Takht-i-Bahi inscription has the name of the King Gondophares,..190,192

its date,..192
read by Dowson, Cunningham, and Senart,..190,192

Tana, the martyrs of,..253

their cultus, ibid

Tapharon (Taphar and Saphar),..224

Theodore, St., martyr,..214

Theodore, the pilgrim, visited St. Thomas’s tomb in India and Edessa,..204,206,207
went to Gaul,..204

Theodore, Lector, on the Gospel found on the body of St. Barnabas,..222

Theodoret, Bp. of Cyrus,..212,226

Theophilus the Indian, sent by Constantius on a mission to Arabia Felix and to

Abyssinia,..223-225

Thomas, St., Apostle, what the Acts say,..189

History.- Did he meet Gondophares,..192,194
preached the Gospel through Parthia,..222
became the Apostle of India,..194-204
suffered martyrdom,..212,213
his tomb at Mylapore,..204-209
Removal of his remains to Edessa by Khabin, note;..250
known to be there in fourth century,..194-197
thence removed to Chios,..211
and once more to Ortona,..211,212
Festival—kept in India,..202,203,255
kept at Edessa,..202,203
by Syrians on 3rd July,..198,199,202
in the West on 21st December,..202,203
by other Rites,..199,203,204
Relics,..251
Tradition—en route to India evangelised Ethopia,..198,213,215
and Socotra,..214,215
versions of his martyrdom,..213,214
traditions regarding the Apostle,..214-216
in Malabar and Mylapore,..214-216
tour of his apostolate,..216
travelled almost the whole inhabited world.,..216

Thomas, a disciple of Manes,..226

Tillemont,210,221,261,258

Travellers, Europeans in the East in thirteenth and fourteenth centuries,

note,..253

Turbo, a disciple of Manes,..226

Urfa, Arab name for Edessa,..199,205

Usuard, Martyrology,..203

Valens, Emperor,..209,210
Vikrama era,..192

Wadding,..207,258

William, Abp. of Tyre.,..210,211

Willibrord, St.,..202

Wright, Dr. W.,..197,201

Xavier, St. Francis,..215

Xerses (Ardashir),..209

Yule, Col.,..206,207,208,217,218,219

Zacagnus,..226

Zayton, ancient port of China,..207,208

Zenghi, Emir of Mosul,..211

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