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The International Prester John Project: How A Global Legend Was Created Across Six Centuries

St. Thomas Texts

During the twelfth century, stories from the Latin Acts of Thomas evolved into several popular treatises, perhaps influenced by Gregory of Tours, Libri Miraculorum (ch. xxxii), the first two of which feature early versions of the Prester John legend:

De adventu patriarchae Indorum ad Urbem sub Calixto papa secundo
Odo of Rheims' letter to "Count Thomas"
De miraculis Beati Thomae
Passio Sancti Thomae

Post-twelfth century texts that include miraculous stories about the shrine of St. Thomas include

Gervase of Tilbury, Otia Imperialia III (ch. xxvi) [early 13th c.]
Vincent of Beauvais, Speculum Historiale [1240s]

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Acts of Thomas Originally composed in Syriac in the third century, The Acts of Thomas described the missionary travels of Jesus' apostle Thomas east of Europe into India. Since the text circulated fairly widely in the Middle Ages (having been translated twice into Latin in the 6th century), it became one of the central texts to familiarize European readers with the existence of a place called India.

In addition to introducing readers to India, The Acts of Thomas helped inaugurate a strange controversy—one which resurfaced around the time of the Prester John legend—concerning the location of Thomas' tomb. It appears that some traditions insisted that Thomas' bones rested in India, while others asserted that his remains were carried west to Edessa. It was even thought that Thomas rested simultaneously in Edessa and India, a theory circulating as early as the fourth century, perhaps beginning with the Syrian theologian St. Ephraim.

Both Latin translations of The Acts of Thomas identify the city of Edessa as the final burial place of Thomas. The Acts (p.152) states
“they brought goodly garments and many linen cloths, and buried [Thomas] Judas in the sepulcher in which the ancient kings were buried." Later, however, when certain villagers go to Thomas’ tomb, the text claims “[they] did not find the bones, for one of the brethren had taken them away secretly and conveyed them to the West” (p.153).

The resting place of the tomb of the Apostle Thomas reappears as a discussion point in a number of twelfth century texts, including the Letter of Prester John. The renewed interest was timely. While Edessa had long displayed the relics of St. Thomas, the mid-twelfth century Seljuk incursion persuaded city leaders to temporarily transfer Thomas' remains to the Aegean island of Chios. In 1258, moved further west to their current resting place: the town of Ortona in central Italy.

Given Thomas as a figure of interest in both eastern and western Christianities, not to mention his association with Edessa, a city connected to the legend, it makes sense that the tomb of St. Thomas should become part of Prester John's domain. Later interpolations of the Letter even integrate the scene from the Acts in which Thomas constructs an ethereal palace for King Gundafor.