SPEAR Factoids about

Personal Information

Name variant(s):

Thomas See factoid page

Sex:

Thomas was male. See factoid page

Place of residence:

Thomas resided in the desert of Mendis. See factoid page

After the exile, Thomas resided in Petra. See factoid page

Thomas resided in the Convent of John Urtaya. See factoid page

Sanctity:

Thomas was a saint. See factoid page

Occupation(s):

Thomas was a notary. See factoid page

Thomas was a syncellus. See factoid page

Social Rank:

Thomas was a patrician See factoid page

Relationships

John of Ephesus commemorated Thomas. See factoid page

Mara, metropolitan of Amid had ecclesiastical authority over Stephen, Thomas and Sergius. See factoid page

Thomas descended from Ishakuni Bar Brʿy. See factoid page

Cosmo and Thomas were siblings. See factoid page

Events

The persecution reached Mare, Bishop of Amida in Mesopotamia and he chose exile over the synod of Chalcedon. He went into exile in Petra with Sergius, Stephen, and Thomas. See factoid page

---

John of Ephesus, who was a monk in the Convent of John Urtaya, observed Thomas's ascetic practices and had many enlightening conversations with him. See factoid page

---

Thomas, Stephen, and Zwtʾ departed from the Convent of John Urtaya after two years and headed toward Egypt. See factoid page

---

Stephen accepted the invitation and tried to convince Thomas and Zwtʾ to accompany him, but they refused and parted ways. Thomas wished to dedicated the remainder of his life to fasting and praying alone in the desert. See factoid page

---

John of Ephesus found Thomas and Zota years later in the desert of Mendis by Mar Menas. Thomas's body was frail and sunburnt. He had dedicated his life to fasting, praying, so that by depriving the body he would purify the soul. See factoid page

---

Thomas died. See factoid page

---

Zwtʾ died after Thomas. See factoid page

---

Mare and his men found an old man who sold utensils for a living in the village of Mendis. He lived in a community of other religious exiles. Stephen and Thomas asked the man to lead them to the exiles. See factoid page

---

Thomas, endeavored to live as an ascetic in the pit near the village of Mendis, but everyone who heard of his plans laughed at him because he had such a privileged upbringing. He was a patrician who had his own estate and slaves and he was the descendent of the great patrician, Ishakuni Bar Brʿy. See factoid page

---

Thomas gave his keys to The bishop's cellarer and snuck out of his monastery at night to go to the pit, where he lived an ascetic life of prayer and fasting. See factoid page

---

After six years of living in the pit, Thomas's trials left him physically ill and infirm. See factoid page

---

Thomas went to the Monastery of John Urtaya, where his sister Cosmo found him and pleaded with him to come home. He refused and remained at the monastery. See factoid page

---

Stephen saw that Thomas was residing in Monastery of John Urtaya and decided to join him, as did another monk who served under Mare, named Zota. All three men dwelled in the Monastery of John Urtaya for two years. See factoid page

---