Author: Егермейстер (---.rochester.rr.com)
Date: 03-01-04 04:39
To many, it would come as a complete surprise that Judaism existed in Chennai long before Christ through the development of trade relations between the people of South India and the Middle East. The rulers of this area developed diplomatic relations with the Middle East and exchanged ambassadors.
Even when the Jews were persecuted and thrown out of many European countries, the Jews who lived in the southern parts of India enjoyed their religious freedom without any restrictions. Even when the Europeans came and developed their rule in India, the Indian Jews were left with all their privileges.
When the charter of Madras as an incorporated town was issued in 1688, among the Aldermen nominated to administer the city, there were three Jews along with representatives of the English, Portuguese and Hindus. The Jews of early Madras established a lucrative trade in exporting diamonds to London and importing silver and rough and polished coral beads and pearls to India.
Many people inside and outside of India believe that the Europeans brought Christianity to India when they came to India. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christianity was introduced to India during the very first century A.D. by none other than St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.
According to traditions, St. Thomas came to India partly in search of the Jewish community already living in India. St. Thomas came with Merchant Hobbes who was appointed as an envoy to one of the kings in India. He landed in a place called Kodungalloor in the present day Kerala. Travelling down the Malabar Coast and up the Coromandal Coast he establishde at least seven churches.
He eventually reached Mylapore, a segment of the present Chennai, where he spent the last days of his life. Long before the arrival of St.Thomas, Mylapore was already a town steeped in religious and cultural traditions and attracted many of the Hindu saints to this town.
Legend has it Apostle St. Thomas or the Doubting Thomas lived in a cave and preached on the beach. He was killed in 72 A.D. at what is today known as the St. Thomas Mount. He was buried in Mylapore and a large and majestic basilica marks his burial place today. Most of his remains were removed to various other places after the arrival of the Europeans in India. When in 1547, the Portuguese conducted an excavation of the burial mound beside the remains of the saint; they also found a cross, chiselled from the rock reputedly by the apostle himself. This cross, eventually, came to be known as the "bleeding cross." When the cross was unearthed in 1558, it had spots like bloodstains and they reappeared after being scrubbed away. The last reported bleeding of the cross was in 1704. Thus the Christian traditions in India are as old as Christianity itself and Chennai witnessed the life and works of the founder of Christianity in India.
Ну, короче, среди старейшин города в 1688 г. имелось три еврея, а что, там же Салем рядом. И, хуже того, в 72 г. в Мылапуре (пур - это полис, видимо -- Нишапур там...), на территории нынешнего Ченная, был убит и похоронен Св. Фома, который принес в Индию христианство. И там, где он похоронен, стоит клевая базилика... Ну, точь-в-точь, как на могиле Ап. Иоанна в Эфесе -- тенденция, однако.
И в этом-то Мылапуре в 16м веке португальцы разрыли курган близ могилы апостола Фомы и надыбали каменный кровоточащий крест.
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