Martyrium Apostoli Thomae

Summary

The Georgian Martyrdom of Thomas is an apocryphal martyrdom narrative recounting the death of the apostle Thomas. It survives in a single Georgian manuscript (Tbilisi, A-95) copied no earlier than the 10th century, translated from a lost Greek original via an Armenian intermediary. The Greek original is commonly dated to the 3rd century, but the Georgian version cannot be placed before the 9th–10th centuries. The text was never canonized or used liturgically in the Georgian Church, circulating only among monastic copyists. Its genre is a martyrdom account (Georgian 'ts'ameba'), typical of apocryphal acts.

The Georgian Martyrdom of Thomas is significant as a witness to the transmission of apocryphal apostolic literature into the Georgian tradition via Armenian mediation. It illustrates how non-canonical martyrdom narratives circulated among monastic communities in the Caucasus, despite official ecclesiastical rejection. Its survival in a single manuscript highlights the fragility of such texts and the importance of manuscript preservation for understanding regional Christianities.

Historical context

The Georgian Martyrdom of Thomas belongs to the broader apocryphal Acts of Thomas tradition, which originated in Syriac and Greek in the 3rd century. The Georgian version was translated from an Armenian intermediary, reflecting the strong Armenian influence on Georgian ecclesiastical literature in the early medieval period. The sole surviving manuscript (Tbilisi A-95) was copied no earlier than the 10th century, likely in a monastic scriptorium. The text was never included in the canonical lists of the Georgian Church and had no attested liturgical use, indicating it remained a non-canonical, scholarly or devotional work. Its transmission was limited, and no external witnesses anchor the Georgian version earlier than the 9th–10th centuries. The translation process and the lack of collation with other versions make its textual history uncertain.

Annotation and terms

5 commentary units 1 sense1 term1 background1 structure1 reception 0 derived notes 1 open questions 1 narrative

What the kinds mean

sense — what the passage says
term — a Coptic word and the rendering chosen for it
background — historical or institutional context the text presupposes
structure — the passage's function in the work
reception — later use — liturgy, canon law, daughter versions

Pipeline notes

limitThe English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve.
registerRegister: apocryphon in Old Georgian; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
structurePassages: 1 narrative.
sourceSource edition: titus — This text is part of the TITUS edition of Martyrium Thomae. Copyright TITUS Project, Frankfurt a/M, 12.12.2008. No parts of this document may be republished in any form without prior permission by the copyright holder.

Term index

Coptic	Rendering	Count	First
no glossary terms recorded

martt:1 · narrativehigh

Source

წამება წმიდისა თომა მოციქულისაჲ ჰინდოეთს შევიდა ნეტარი იგი თომა მოციქული სახლსა ვეჟანისსა, ძისა მის მეფისა ჰინდოელთაჲსა, ღამესა დიდითა ნათლითა განათლდა ყოველი-ვე, რაჲ-ცა იყო სახლსა მას შინა.

English

Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Thomas in India The blessed Apostle Thomas entered the house of Vezhan, son of the king of the Indians, and on that night the whole house was illuminated with great light.

Commentary

sensetextწამება

The Georgian term 'ts'ameba' (წამება) means 'martyrdom' or 'suffering', establishing the work as a martyrdom narrative within the apocryphal tradition.

source edition: Martyrium Apostoli Thomae

termglossaryვეჟან

The name 'Vezhan' (ვეჟან) is a Georgian rendering of a non-Georgian name, likely derived from a Syriac or Persian source, referring to the son of the Indian king.

source edition: Martyrium Apostoli Thomae

backgroundexternalჰინდოეთს

The location 'Hindoet' (ჰინდოეთს) is the Old Georgian term for India, reflecting the traditional association of Thomas's missionary work with India in early Christian apocrypha.

structuretextშევიდა

The opening verb 'shevida' (შევიდა, 'entered') marks the beginning of the narrative action, typical of hagiographic and apocryphal martyrdom accounts.

source edition: Martyrium Apostoli Thomae

receptionexternalწამება წმიდისა თომა

This Georgian version of the Martyrdom of Thomas is part of a broader apocryphal tradition, transmitted through Syriac and Greek sources, and was used in Georgian liturgical contexts.

Open questions · 1

The identity of 'Vezhan' is unclear; he may be a local ruler or a figure from earlier Thomas traditions, but the text does not provide further details.

Citation. Tergwame, “Martyrium Apostoli Thomae”, martt:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/martt#s1

Colophon. Source: titus · licence: This text is part of the TITUS edition of Martyrium Thomae. Copyright TITUS Project, Frankfurt a/M, 12.12.2008. No parts of this document may be republished in any form without prior permission by the copyright holder. · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0009 · generated 2026-11-15.