Doubting Thomas... doubting Salome

[angellous_evangellous]

You've heard of doubting Thomas...

Jesus and Thomas (from the ESV)


Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."


Here is doubting Salome from the Infancy Gospel of James (Infancy Gospel of James: English Translation by Andrew Bernhard)

[Chapter 19]

(18) And the midwife departed from the cave and met Salome and said to her, "Salome, Salome, I have to describe this new miracle for you. A virgin has given birth, although her body does not allow it."


(19) And Salome said, "As the Lord my God lives, unless I insert my finger and investigate her, I will not believe that a virgin has given birth."

Chapter 20​

(1) And the midwife went in and said, "Mary, position yourself, for not a small test concerning you is about to take place."


(2) When Mary heard these things, she positioned herself. And Salome inserted her finger into her body. (3) And Salome cried out and said, "Woe for my lawlessness and the unbelief that made me test the living God. Look, my hand is falling away from me and being consumed in fire."


(5) And Salome dropped to her knees before the Lord, saying, "God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, (6) do not expose me to the children of Israel, but give me back to the poor. (7) For you know, Lord, that I have performed service and received my wage from you."


(8) Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, saying to her, "Salome, Salome, the Lord of all has heard your entreaty. (9) Stretch out your hand to the child and lift him up and he will be salvation and joy for you."


(10) And Salome went to the child and lifted him up, saying, "I worship him because he has been born a king to Israel." (11) And at once Salome was healed and left the cave justified.


(12) Suddenly, there was a voice saying, "Salome, Salome, do not proclaim what a miracle you have seen until the child comes to Jerusalem."

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Again in the Epistle to the Apostles The Epistula Apostolorum: Epistle of the Apostles

chapter 11

11 Then said the Lord unto Mary and her sisters: Let us go unto them. And he came and found us within (sitting veiled or fishing, Eth.), and called us out; but we thought that it was a phantom and believed not that it was the Lord. Then said he unto us: Come, fear ye not. I am your master, even he, O Peter, whom thou didst deny thrice; and dost thou now deny again? And we came unto him, doubting in our hearts whether it were he.

Then said he unto us: Wherefore doubt ye still, and are unbelieving? I am he that spake unto you of my flesh and my death and my resurrection. But that ye may know that I am he, do thou, Peter, put thy finger into the print of the nails in mine hands, and thou also, Thomas, put thy finger into the wound of the spear in my side; but thou, Andrew, look on my feet and see whether they press the earth; for it is written in the prophet: A phantom of a devil maketh no footprint on the earth.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

For the day crowd

 

[doppelganger]

This one goes in the uber-creepy file.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

This one goes in the uber-creepy file.

That's what my wife thinks. She couldn't stop laughing: "ooooo My hand's on fire let me touch your baby..."

It's about the perpetual virginity of Mary. Apparently, the author of this text and possibly a large audience thought that Mary was a virgin before and after the birth of Christ. Some people struggled with the practicality of this... and we have the story of Salome actually touching Mary just as Thomas touched Christ.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

It's great to me because it shows an important role for women... Salome certifies Mary as a witness... Thomas certifies Christ...

There are also a lot of other important female characters.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Is no one interested in the recurring theme of touching?

Who is touching Jesus may be very imporant.

Thomas may touch Jesus in John as a repudiation of Gnostics, who recognized Thomas as their leader but rejected the bodily resurrection. In the Epistle to the Apostles, Peter, Thomas, and Andrew all touch Jesus, perhaps signifying unity betweeen three Christian groups (Rome, Syria, and Jerusalem). Salome, the woman, touches Mary, signifying the role of Christian women apostles.

 

[Te Deum]

Since only four Gospels are canonical, we really don't have to work about any of the other "gospels" though. They are literal at the most as opposed to the inspired Word of God.