Thomas

Thom'as (θωμᾶς), one of the twelve apostles. A.D. 27-29.

1. His Name. —This is evidently a Graecized form of the Aramaic תּאֹמָא, Tomd, which means the twin; and so it is translated in Joh 11:16; Joh 20:24; Joh 21:2, ὁ Δί δυμος, which has passed into a name, Didymus (q.v.). This name occurs also on Phoenician inscriptions in a form which reminds us of the colloquial English abbreviation, viz. תאום and תאם (Gesenius, Monumenta, "p. 356). In Heb. also (Song 7:4) it is simply תּאֹם, feom, almost exactly our "Tom." The frequency of the name in England is derived not from the apostle, but from St. Thomas of Canterbury. Out of the signification of this name has grown the tradition that he had a twin-sister, Lysia (Patres Apost. p. 272), or that he was a twin-brother of our Lord (Thilo, Acta Thomae, p. 94); which last, again, would confirm his identification with Jude (comp. Mt 13:55), with whom Eusebius expressly identifies him (Hist. Eccles. 1, 13; so also the Acta Thomae). This may have been a mere confusion with Thaddaeus (q.v.), who is mentioned in the extract. But it may also be that Judas was his real name, and that Thomas was a surname.

2. History and Character from the New Test. —(We here chiefly adopt Stanley's art. in Smith's Dict. of the Bible). In the catalogue of the apostles he is coupled with Matthew in Mt 10:3; Mark 3, 18; Lu 6:15; and with Philip in Ac 1; Ac 13.