Jude Thaddaeus

Figure 5 - Thaddeus, probably c. 1320

Judas, also known as Thaddeaus was a cousin to Jesus. His father was Cleophas Alpheaus (Joesph’s brother), and his mother Mary, was a cousin to the Virgin Mary. He was a twin with James Alpheus. When called to serve, Jude was 26 years old, married and had two children. What we know about him comes from ancient Syrian documents, made use of and mentioned by Eusebius which tells us about Thaddaeus’ travels to Edessa and Armenia (then under Persian rule). Edessa, which is now called Urfa is in southern Turkey. It has a long history, previously known as Orrhoe, Orhai, and Osrhene, and Orham. Tradition says that this was Abraham’s home city [reference]. [jesus brother ??]

[see also Hymn Jude Thomas the apostle in India, p 366, ‘The Gnostic scriptures]

During the lifetime of Jesus, Abgar, the king of Armedia heard so much of Jesus that he sent the court advisors to seek him and verify the claims. When they returned and explained their findings to the king he believed that Jesus was the One, and wrote asking Jesus to come heal his disease:

"Abgar, son of Archam, prince of the land, to Jesus, Saviour and Benefactor of men, who has appeared in the country of Jerusalem, greeting:

"I have heard of Thee, and of the cures wrought by Thy hands, without remedies, without herbs: for, as it is said, Thou makest the blind to see, the lame to walk, the lepers to be healed; Thou drivest out unclean spirits, Thou curest unhappy beings afflicted with prolonged and inveterate diseases; Thou dost even raise the dead. As I have heard of all these wonders wrought by Thee, I have concluded from them either that Thou art God, come down from heaven to do such great things, or that Thou art the Son of God, working as Thou dost these miracles. Therefore have I written to Thee, praying Thee to condescend to come to me and cure me of the complaints with which I am afflicted. I have heard also that the Jews murmur against Thee and wish to deliver Thee up to torments: I have a city small but pleasant, it would be sufficient for us both."

The King’s advisors brought the letter to Jesus while he was in Jerusalem, the tradition claims John 12:20 as evidence of the letter being received by Jesus: "Some from amongst the heathen came to find Jesus, but those who heard them, not daring to tell Jesus what they had heard, told it to Philip and Andrew, who repeated it all to their Master". In any case, Jesus did not accept the invitation, and using Thomas as a secretary, Jesus wrote a letter to the King:

"Blessed is he who believes in me without having seen me! For it is written of me: `Those who see me will not believe in me, and those who do not see me will believe and live.' As to what thou hast written asking me to come to thee, I must accomplish here all that for which I have been sent; and, when I shall have accomplished it all, I shall ascend to Him who sent me; and when I shall go away I will send one of my disciples, who will cure thy diseases, and give life to thee and to all those who are with thee."

Chapter 6, Moses of Chorene, The History of Armenia

The Mandylion

Thomas chose Jude to bring the letter to the king. Sometime around 57AD Jude arrived in Edessa bringing the letter and a holy image of Jesus with him that was miraculously made to show on a small cloth. The image, called the Mandylion resided in Edessa where it was venerated becoming a shrine for early church. For a short time both the Shroud of Turin and the Mandylion were on display in Edessa.

Figure 6 - The Holy Mandylion - 17th c. from a Dionysiou Monastery

According to Frank Tribbe’s book Portrait of Jesus?, the Mandylion was hidden in a secret chamber to protect it from Edessa’s King Ma’nu VI’s persecution (57 to 71AD) and its hiding spot was forgotten about. In 525AD a flood damaged much of the city, but the damage revealed the sealed room and the mandylion. For 400 years the cloth was the pride of the city. In the 900s the cloth was forcibly moved to Aya Sofia in Constantinople where it was venerated until 1204 when the Fourth Crusade sacked the city. The cloth has disappeared, but some suggest that the cloth still exists at Sudarium Christi of Andechs in Bavaria, and the Saduarim Christis at Oviedo in Spain.

A slight variation, according to The Golden Legend, Vol 6, (c1400s) is that a painter was dispatched to paint a likeness of Jesus because Agbar worried he might die before seeing Jesus. The painter arrived to make his portrait and beholding Jesus in person could not paint. Jesus taking pity on the craftsman took his linen and impressed his image upon it. (Jude is also thought to have evangelized in the city of Tiflis, which is now called Tbilisi, which is in the Republic of Georgia [need to expand or cut])

According to Acts of the Holy Apostle Thaddaeus, One of the Twelve, a 5^th century book, Thaddaeus and Agbar destroyed pagan-temples and built many churches. He made an impressive speech to the Jews in Amris, cured many peoples, cast out demons and then lived there for some five years. The book concludes with Thaddaeus traveling to Beirut and dying there peacefully on August 21^st.

Not everyone agrees, in the 300s Eusebius writes that Jude had a second generation of troubles with Abgar’s children who split Armenia when he had died. According to Eusebius the turmoil of the divided kingdom lead to Jude’s (and Simon the Zealot’s) martyrdoms at Chavachan (later called Ardaz). There his body was recovered by their own disciples and buried properly.

Yet another tradition, perhaps the most famous, holds that he was clubbed to death, on his way to Edessa. That tradition states that as he was preparing to eat his evening meal, a band of political-assassins clubbed him to death in 79AD. There was a great mourning among his followers; he was buried in a simple grave. Later in the 8^th century his remains (except the armbones) were moved to St Peter’s basilica and his final resting place is the location where Peter’s cross stood. Other relics are in Rehims and Toulose, France [how did they get there? Etc].

Epistle of Jude

Many, but not all, scholars hold that the Epistle of Jude is written by the very same Jude Thaddaeus. Even at the time of Eusbius (340ad) this epistle was not confidently accepted as part of the biblical cannon. Scholars generally agree that it was written in the 60s AD, just prior to the Destruction of the Temple (70ad).

[need more detail about how and when this epistle came into being does it have any links to Edessa?]