Mar Thoma Sleeha (Saint Thomas Cross) or simplyMar Sleeva are ancient crosses associated with the community ofIndian subcontinent, who trace their origins to theevangelism ofThomas the Apostle in the 1st centuryAD. TheSaint Thomas Christians, which is one of the oldestChristian communities of the world,[1][2][3] survive in theMalabar region in state ofKerala, India and have a diaspora in other parts of the Indian subcontinent. The crosses are also associated with theKnanaya community of Kerala. Saint Thomas Christian crosses are known asMar Thoma Sleeva (Saint Thomas cross),[4]Indian cross,[5] orPersian Cross in English, as well asNasrani Sthambam inMalabarese.
Mar Thoma Sleeva (also written as Mar Thoma Slīva) is aSyriac-language term which means Saint Thomas cross.[10]
Vector illustration of Mar Thoma Sleeva or Saint Thomas Cross
Antonio Gouvea states in his 16th-century workJornada that the old churches of Saint Thomas Christians were full of crosses of the type discovered at S. Thome (Mylapore).[11] He also states that veneration of the cross is an old custom in Malabar.Jornada is the oldest known written document which calls the crosscross from (of) Sam Thome (Mylapore).The original phrase used isCruz de Sam Thome, meaning "Cross of (from) St. Thomas". For this reason, it can also mean "Cross from Sam Thome", where Mylapore is equivalent toSam Thomé, the name that the given by the Portuguese to the city ofMylapore. Gouvea also writes about the veneration of the Cross atCranganore (Kodungallur), mentioning it as Cross of Christians.[11]
Persian Cross Dated Between the 7-8th Century (Left Altar) - Kottayam Knanaya Valiyapally
Believed to have originally been exhibited at the churches built by the merchant Knai Thoma in Kodungallur. Later moved to Kaduthuruthy Knanaya Church due to the destruction of the Knanaya settlement of Kodungallur in a battle between the Kingdom of Kozhikode and the Kingdom of Kochi in 1524. Finally moved to St. Mary's Knanaya Church Kottayam at its erection in 1550 C.E.
The left altar cross was dated between the 7th and 8th century by Assyriologist C.P.T Winkworth in 1928.
Persian Cross Dated to the 10th Century (Right Altar) - Kottayam Knanaya ValiyapallyPersian Cross Dated to the 10th Century (Right Altar) - Kottayam Knanaya Valiyapally
Believed to have originally been exhibited at the churches built by the merchant Knai Thoma in Kodungallur. Later moved to Kaduthuruthy Knanaya Church due to the destruction of the Knanaya settlement of Kodungallur in a battle between the Kingdom of Kozhikode and the Kingdom of Kochi in 1524. Finally moved to St. Mary's Knanaya Church Kottayam at its erection in 1550 C.E.
The right altar cross was dated to the 10th century by Assyriologist C.P.T. Winkworth in 1928.
This cross is considered to be the oldest cross in Sri Lanka. It was found in 1912 during excavations of Anuradhapura.
Other similar crosses:
Xi'an, China. On theXi'an Stele (also known as the "Nestorian Stele"), erected in 781, there is a cross rising from a lotus, surrounded by a pair of symmetrical clouds. The lotus consists of seven petals, and two branches with flowers are depicted on either side of the main pattern. At the top of the cross is a glowing flame motif (similar to the dove above the cross in the case of the St. Thomas crosses).[13][14]
Taxila Cross at Lahore Cathedral
Taxila, Pakistan. It is a very small cross that found in a field near the ancient citySirkap near Taxila. The cross is kept at theCathedral Church of the Resurrection, Lahore.[15][16] However, experts point out that the cross shares only one characteristic with other St Thomas crosses: mostly equilateral, with arms of equal length. They claim that the Christian antiquity of this cross cannot be conclusively proven, as the same characteristic is also observed in pre-Christian Buddhist crosses and Swastika-variants found in the region, and even inGreek crosses.[16][17][18][19]
An Indian cross is depicted on the rock-piece at the front of the Parur (North) church, first published in theSt Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, Vol.II, 1973, Ed. George Menachery.
Unlike crosses in other traditions, the St Thomas cross does not carry theeffigy of the Christ. In addition to this unique quality, each of its elements carry symbolic meanings. Generally the Cross symbolizes life rather than death and suffering.[23]
The four edges of the cross arefloral in shape, symbolizing fruition and life from thetree of life.
The lotus flower beneath the cross is a symbol of Buddhism and India. A cultural adaptation of local imagery, the cross fixed on the lotus would symbolize Christianity in India in the first century.
The three steps below the Cross representGolgotha, symbolically referring to thedeath of Jesus, also the three decks of the Ark and the ascent to Mt. Sinai.
^Zhou, Yixing (2020).Studies on Nestorian Iconology in China and part of Central Asia during the 13th and 14th Centuries (Thesis). pp. 113–114.
^Plates 34a, 34b.Gillman, Ian; Klimkeit, Hans-Joachim (1999).Christians in Asia before 1500. Routledge.ISBN0-7007-1022-1.
^Picture and description in theSt Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, Ed. George Menachery, Vol.I, 1982 in article Christianity in Pakistan by Bishop Young,
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