Acts of Thomas

Japanese: トマス行伝 - トマスぎょうでん（英語表記）Acts of Thomas

One of the New Testament apocryphal books of the Acts. It is thought to have been written in Syria (Edessa) in the second half of the 3rd century. A Greek translation exists alongside the Syriac text. It is a book-like account of the Apostle Thomas' "Mission to India." It contains the ascetic characteristics of the early Syriac Church and Gnostic ideas, and was particularly respected by Manichaeans later, but was also enjoyed by Orthodox believers as a kind of popular literature. Traditions such as the "Song of the Heavenly Marriage" (chapter 6) and the "Song of the Pearl" (chapters 108-113) are of great historical value.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

新約外典使徒行伝の一つ。3世紀の後半にシリア(エデッサ)で成立したと考えられる。シリア語本文と並んでギリシア語訳が現存する。使徒トマスの〈インド伝道〉を読物風に叙述する。初期シリア教会の禁欲主義的特徴やグノーシス主義的な観念を含み，後にマニ教徒の間でとくに尊重されたが，正統主義教会の信徒の間でも大衆文学の一種として好んで読まれた。〈天的結婚の歌〉(6章)や〈真珠の歌〉(108～113章)などの伝承は史料的価値が高い。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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