The Independence of the “Martyrdom” of the Acts of Thomas

Chapters 159–70 of the Acts of Thomas ( ATh ) – the so-called “Martyrdom” – are broadly agreed to have originally been independent, and only later appended to the end of the ATh to provide the story with a proper martyr’s ending. However, this article suggests that previous scholarship only establishes that the “Martyrdom” had a separate author to the rest of the ATh . An argument has yet to be made demonstrating that the author of the “Martyrdom” did not intend it to be immediately attached to the ATh . I argue that the “Martyrdom” contains a subplot that completely contradicts the ATh through a comparative analysis of the respective narratives of the “Martyrdom” and the preceding chapters of the ATh . This article thus demonstrates that the “Martyrdom” was not simply separately authored, but also was not intended to be read with the ATh and originally circulated as an independent tradition.