Thomas the Apostle  Thomas the Apostle (; ; ; "Tʾōmā šliḥā" ("Thoma Sheliha")), also called Didymus ("twin"), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as "Doubting Thomas" because he doubted Jesus' resurrection when first told of it (as related in the Gospel of John alone); later, he confessed his faith, "My Lord and my God," on seeing Jesus' crucifixion wounds. According to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of modern-day Kerala in India, Thomas is believed to have travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, travelling as far as the Malabar Coast which is in modern-day Kerala. According to their tradition, Thomas reached Muziris (modern-day North Paravur and Kodungalloor in the state of Kerala, India) in AD 52. In 1258, some of the relics were brought to Ortona, in Abruzzo, Italy, where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle. He is often regarded as the patron saint of India, and the name "Thomas" remains quite popular among Saint Thomas Christians of India. Thomas first speaks in the Gospel of John. In , when Lazarus had recently died, the apostles do not wish to go back to Judea, where some Jews had attempted to stone Jesus. Thomas says: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Thomas speaks again in . There, Jesus had just explained that he was going away to prepare a heavenly home for his followers, and that one day they would join him there. Thomas reacted by saying, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?" The name "Thomas" (Koine Greek: Θωμᾶς) given for the apostle in the New Testament is derived from the Aramaic תְּאוֹמָא or "Tāʾwma"/"Tʾōmā", equivalently from Hebrew תְּאוֹם "tʾóm", meaning "twin". The equivalent term for twin in Greek, which is also used in the New Testament, is Δίδυμος "Didymos". The Nag Hammadi copy of the "Gospel of Thomas" begins: "These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos, Judas Thomas, recorded."