Indian Antiquary Vol 33

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 14

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1904.
NOTES ON THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.
BY SYLVAIN LEVI. Extracted and rendered into English, with the author's permission, from the " Journal Asiatique," July-Dec., 1896, pp. 444 to 494, and Jan.-June, 1897, pp. 5 to 42,
by W. R. PALIPPS.
(Concluded from Vol. XXXII. p. 426.) PART III. - SAINT THOMAS, GONDOPHARES, AND MAZDEO. What follows hera is practically a translation of the whole of the third part of M. Levi's Notes, in the Journal Asiatique, Jan-Jane, 1897, pp. 27 to 42, slightly condensed in some places. As in Parts I. and II., the figures in thick type in square brackets mark the pages of the original.
M. Lévi first [27] reminds us how the name of the king Gondophares, which had been perpetuated through the Christian middle ages, as shewn by the Golden Legend, was deciphered upon an ancient coin from Gand bâra (see Cunningham's paper, Cuins of Indian Buddhist Satrape with Greek Inscriptions, in J. A. S. Bengal, 23, 1854, p. 679 ff.). Thus, the legend and the coins form a bond between Indian and Christian antiquities. It is a curious fact that the tradition regarding the apostle St. Thomas should have preserved for eighteen centuries the remembrance of a comparatively obscure king, ruling about the confines of India, Iran, and Scythia. We ought, therefore, to examine the details of the legend, and see if we can get any real history out of it.
M. Lévi then refers to Gutschmid's famous paper on the subject (Von Gutschmid, Die Königsnamen in den Apocryphen Apostelgeschichten, in Rheinisches Museum für Philologie, 1864, 161-183 and 380-401; Kleine Schriften, II. 832-894).
He points out that though Gutschmid discussed the question in a masterly way, his ingenious sagacity was exercised on insufficient materials, and his conclusions have since been shaken. We have now much additional valaable material, coins and inscriptions ; moreover, the literature of St. Thomas and of the apocryphal Acts has been increased with new texts and important works.
Among these works M. Léri cites the following: -
Max, Bonnet, Supplementum Codicis Apocryphi, I., Acta Thomæ, Lipsiæ, 1889. - Wright, Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles from Syrian MSS. (II. English translation, London, 1871). - Malan, Certamen Apostolorum, Conflicts of the holy Apostles translated ... London, 1871. – K. Schröter, Gedicht des Jakob ron Sarug über den Palast den der Apostel Thomas in Indien baute, in Z. D. M. G. XXV. 1871, 321-377. - R. A. Lipsius, Die Apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden, 3 Vols., Braunschweig, 1883-4.
M. Lévi mentions an Armenian version of the apocryphal Acts of Thomas, not yet printed. M. Carrière called his attention to the manuscript in the Berlin Library, and M. Frédéric Macler noted all the proper names for him, and translated several passages. The text appears to be identical with the Syriac, edited by Wright.
Having this specified the new material available, M, Lévi proceeds to a new examination of the question: -
[28] Two apostles, Thomas and Bartholomew, are said to have evangelised India. But if we compare the legendary accounts of the two saints, a marked difference appears. The legend of St. Bartholomew is founded upon vague and impersonal notions. The Greek compiler of the Martyrdom of Bartholomer, copied slavishly by Abdias, begins with a pedantic display of false science :
1 (For names of some additional works, ses articles in Indian Antiquary, 1903, pp. 1 ff. and 145 f., entitled The Connection of St. Thomas the Apostle with India. We may also point out that Malan's book is now ont of date, being quite superiodod by E. A. W. Budgo, The Contendings of the Apostles, 2 Vols. ; London, 1901.-W.R.P.]