THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
like Peter's, but with contrary leanings, since Peter was optimistic and Thomas pessimistic. He is noted for his desire for certain and experiential knowledge, without which he was uncertain and undetermined (cf. John xiv. 5), as when he wished personal and irrefutable experience of the fact of Jesus' resurrection (John xx. 25-28).
All extra-Biblical reports are untrustworthy, including those which identify him with other Biblical personages especially in the Syrian Church. The Curetonian and Sinaitic S\"riac furnish examples of identification with Judas in John xiv. 22, others are in the Syriac Didache, Abulfaraj (Chron. eccl., hi. 2), Ephraem Syrus (cf. Burkitt, in TS, vii. 2, 4), Eusebius (Hist, eccl., i., xiii., Syriac text). The defense of this identification by Resch (TU., x. 3, pp. 824 sqq.), who explains Judas-James as brother of James and sees the other twin in James-Alpheus and distinguishes Lebbffius-Thaddeus from Judas-James, has no foundation. Still more startling is the identification of Thomas with Judas son of Joseph and brother of Jesus, which makes him the twin brother of Jesus; this occurs first in the Acts of Thomas [§ 31], at the basis of which is probably a Syriac original, but outside the Syrian Church is found only in Priscillian, who in this twin brother sees the apostle (John xx. 26 sqq.) and the author of I John (cf. Zahn, Forschungen, v. 116, 123, vi. 346 sqq.) . As untrustworthy as these suppositions is the statement that Thomas was a native of Paneas in Galilee (cf. R. A. Lipsius. Apokryphen, Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden, i. 246, Brunswick, 1SS3). Similarly the reports of ecclesiastical tradition are pure fiction. The earliest form of this sends him to work in Parthia (Eusebius, Hist. eccl. III., i., and often elsewhere), and his grave was sought in Edessa (S. J. Assemani, Bibliotheca orientalis, i. 49, Rome, 1719) and his death naturally was located there (Clement of Alexandria, Strom., IV., ix. 73), while this report brings him into connection also with the Abgar legend (see Abgar). A later development in the beginning of the fourth century sends him to India, where he suffers a martyr death. This is brought into relation with the Edessa story by reporting the carrying of his body back to Edessa, a story without historical foundation (in spite of W. Germann, Die Kirche der Thomaschristen, pp. 20 sqq., Giitersloh, 1877). 1'he source of these later stories is the Gnostic Acts of Thomas (ed. M. Bonnet, Supplementum codicis apocrjphi, vol. i., Leipsic, 1883). A later redaction of this legend dates from the seventh century, affirming that Thomas converted Parthians, Medes, Persians, and Indians and died a martyr in Calamine in India (J. J. Grynaus, Monumenta patrum orthodoxagrapha, ii. 589, Basel, 1569). The Thomas Christians (see Xestorians) have a tradition, conditioned by the Gnostic Acts of Thomas, which makes him a martyr in Mailapur. /T-, 0 ,.
J ^ (E. SlEFFERT.)
Bibliography: The sources are quite fully indicated in the text. The reader is referred to the Bible dictionaries, notably: DB, iv. 753-754; EB, iv. 5057-59; DCG, ii. 728-729. MeGiffert discusses the early accounts in his transl. of Eusebius, Hist, eccl., in NPNF, 1 ser., i. 100, 101, 104, 132, 156, 171. The fullest account of the legends roneerning Thomas are in the work of Lipsius named in the text, i. 225-347 Consult further W. Wright,
Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles, London, 1871; T. Schermann, Propheten und Apostellegenden, Leipsic, 1907; F. Wilhelm, Deutsche Legenden und Legendare, ib. 1907. The apocryphal Gospel according to Thomas was edited by C. Tischendorf in Evangelia Apocrypha, Leipsic, 1853, 2d ed., 1876, and an Eng. transl. is furnished by B. H. Cowper, The Apocryphal Gospels, pp. 118-170, London, 1867; and by A. Walker, Apocryphal Gospels, Acts, and Revelations, pp. 78-99, ib. 1873, who gives also transl. of the Acts of Thomas, pp. 389-422. The text of the Acts of Thomas are in C. Tischendorf, Acta Apostolorum apocrypha, pp. 190-234, cf. pp. lxiii.-lxix., 235-242. For Eng. transl. of the " Preaching " and " Martyrdom of St. Thomas " cf. Agnes Smith Lewis, Horm Semiticce, iv. 80- 99, London, 1904. B. Pick, in Apocryphal Acts, pp. 222- 362, Chicago, 1909, gives Eng. transl. of the Acts of Thomas. Consult also A. E. Medlycott, India and the Apostle Thomas: an Inquiry; with a critical Analysis oj the Acta Thoma, London, 1905.