Thomas in India: 1st-Century Archaeology and Church Records of the Apostle’s Journey

## The Maritime Trade Routes to Muziris {#trade-routes}

In the 1st century AD, regular monsoon trade winds enabled Roman merchants to sail from Egypt across the Arabian Sea directly to **Muziris** (modern Kodungallur in Kerala, India). The *Periplus of the Erythraean Sea* (c. 50 AD) records thriving spice trade between Rome and South India.

Apostle Thomas leveraged these established Jewish merchant networks to bring the gospel to Asia.

Acts of Thomas and Early Syrian Tradition

The *Acts of Thomas* (3rd-century Syriac text) records that Thomas was commissioned to serve as an architect and carpenter for King Gondophares in Northern India.

For centuries, historians dismissed King Gondophares as mythical. However, in the 19th century, numismatists discovered silver coins in the Punjab bearing the exact Greek inscription **KING GONDOPHARES** (20–46 AD), confirming the historical veracity of the ruler mentioned in Thomas’s acts.

Archaeological Evidence: Roman Coins & Inscriptions

Excavations at Pattanam (Muziris) revealed amphorae fragments, Roman terra sigillata pottery, and thousands of Roman gold coins from Emperors Augustus, Tiberius, and Claudius. This proves a massive 1st-century Roman presence precisely where oral tradition places Thomas's arrival in 52 AD.

The Saint Thomas Christians (Nasranis)

The indigenous St. Thomas Christians (Nasranis) of Malabar have preserved Syriac liturgical rites and oral genealogies tracing seven original churches established by Thomas.

Thomas was martyred at St. Thomas Mount near Chennai (Madras) in 72 AD, pierced by a spear—a death commemorated in early Syriac, Latin, and Malankara traditions.