Acts of Apostle Thomas

VI KERALA TRADITION : M. M. NINAN
The Magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word Magi is a Latinization of the plural of
the Greek word magos (μαγος) itself from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestan magâunô, i.e. the religious
caste into which Zoroaster was born, (see Yasna 33.7:' ýâ sruyê parê magâunô ' = ' so I can be heard
beyond Magi '). The term refers to the priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. In general the title was not applied
to priests of any one particular religion. Diodorus Siculus bears this out, for he says that magi controlled the
temple of Bel in Babylon. (Bibliotheca Historica, II, 31; Ephraem Syrus II, 48) after the Medes had stormed
the city. And priests of Inanna in northern Europe were called 'magi'. They had separated from the southern
Chaldees in the time of Peleg, after the sixth millennium flood. Obviously the title of 'mage' has been bestowed
upon priests of different religions.
The same word is generally used for wise men if the olden times. They were the scientists of the period
and were Magicians, Sorcerers and were advisers to Kings and emperors. We meet "Elymas the
sorcerer" in Acts 13:6-11, and Simon Magus, in Acts 8:9-13. Daniel was considered a Magician in the
Babylonian Court.
Traditions identify a variety of different names for the Magi. In the Western Christian church they have
been commonly known as:
Melchior
Caspar or Gaspar (and several other Greek or Latin variants such as Gathaspa, Jaspar, Jaspas, etc.).
Balthasar (Bithisarea, Balthassar).
These names apparently derived from a Greek manuscripts probably composed in Alexandria around 500
A.D.,
One candidate for the origin of the name Caspar appears in the Acts of Thomas as Gondophares (AD 21 –
c.AD 47) The name of Gondaphares was translated in Armenian in "Gastaphar", and then in Western
languages into "Gaspard". He may be the "Gaspard, King of India", who, according to apocryphal texts and
eastern Christian tradition, was one of the three Biblical Magi who attended the birth of Christ.Bible
historian Chuck Missler mentions about an Armenian tradition identifying the Magi as Balthasar of Arabia,
Melchior of Persia and Gasper of India.
“Rajakkalude Pally”
Piravam Valiya Pally in Muvattupuzha river at Piravom, is popularly known as the 'Church of the Kings'
(“Rajakkalude Pally”). "The place-name Piravom means “Nativity". It is believed that three of the wise
men who were experts in Astronomy came from this area. Indian traditions assigns other Kings from
Kerala as well.
When they returned, they built a church to woship infant Jesus on this mount. Kaniyanparambil Kurian
Corepiscopa in the History of St.Thomas (Page. 15; Suriyani Sabha) states that St. Thomas himself acknowledged
these ‘Megusans’ (MAGI), while he was in Kerala.
All the ancient documents in the church were destroyed by the Portugese during the Udayamperoor Synod
(Suriyani Sabha. Page. 131).
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