Comment posted Glimpse from History-Gondophares, Roman and Venetian gold coins by Olikara.

These coins are not really rare on account of the wide spread of the Venetian trade network.

They can be found in Museums and even with coin collectors all over. I have seen many with coin collectors in India too.

Needless to say a search for ‘Venice + ducats’ on eBay will yield many dealers.

However a word of caution here. Beware of fakes. Buy from a dealer with a good record only.

Recent comments by Olikara

• Arrival of Thomas of Cana ( Bishop Thomas of Cana ?), History and references about Southist Community (Thekkumbhagar – Knanaya )
  Kezhakken,

  Excellent news!

  And this is something I have have always believed. My theory has always been the same and simple..Physical features of ethnic groups ALWAYS stand out. The knanayas look like anyone of us, and by us I also include Malayalis of other faiths as well.

  So I have always believed, often facing rebuttals from knanayites that the Knanaya community is of the same gene pool as us. If we are Arab, they are Arab, if we are Jewish, they are Jewish and if we are Paraya, they are also Paraya!

  Very good news.

• Arrival of Thomas of Cana ( Bishop Thomas of Cana ?), History and references about Southist Community (Thekkumbhagar – Knanaya )
  NJ,

  I certainly agree with you. Very well written

  There can be no more STUPIDITY (forgive me for my language, but I do get mad when I hear such racial exclusivity theories) than suggesting that the Knanaya community is a racially pure one.

  I for myself have seen no records from travel writers who suggest the exisatence of such a community in Malabar.

  And now common sense, let me throw race at those who call themselves seperate from us racially..

  Look at yourself in the mirror..you look like any one of us. Compare yourself to your ‘so-called’ brethren in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. See the difference. You would be a misfit.

  And dont tell me that 15 centuries of staying in India have changed your skin tones and features. That does not happen. The Cochini and Baghdadi jews are proof of this.

  And the Parsis of Bombay too. They still look exactly similar to their Zoroastrian counterparts in Iran proper.

  It is time to nail this Knanaya nonsense

  Nidhin Olikara

• Names, Middle Names and Last Names among the Syrian Christians
  kuruvillechan,

  You are right. John is the english form of Iohannes, which was the Latin form of the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning “YAHWEH is gracious”.

  Ref: http://www.behindthename.com/name/john

  However what I wanted to illustrate here is what Syrian Christian names actually stand for. Yohannan is certainly the root for John but when it comes to relating names one ( a layman, not a linguist) often relates it to the commonly heard Western ones, in this case Yohannan relates to John.

  Yes you seem to have got how Kuruvilla came from the root Korah too. You find Korah in the book of Genesis as the son of Esau.

  Incidentally, Pilla in old Tamil (incidentally the spoken language in kerala till 600-800 A.D. when a gradual sanskritisation of our language started) also mean ‘respectable man’.

  Thank You for the useful comments again.

• Names, Middle Names and Last Names among the Syrian Christians
  Amprayil,
  That was an important point. I have added it to the article.

  Jacob Idiculas
  Idiculla should be a derivative of Itty.

  Kuruvilla
  Kuruvilla would have been derived from Korah, son of Esau.

  Thank you.

Related NSC Network Articles

• ‘Glimpses of Nazraney Heritage’ by Prof George Menachery
• ‘The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India’- Volume II , Chief Editor Prof.George Menachery
• The Muziris Heritage Project- News
• ‘The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India’- Volume I -Prof. George Menachery
• A Syrian Christian Family Portrait – Circa 1620 A.D.
• Letters of St. Thomas the Apostle to Edessa from India
• Ancient Churches with traditional dates of foundation & Stone Crosses of Kerala- Saint Thomas Cross, Nazraney Sthambams and other Persian Crosses

(5 votes, average: 3.80 out of 5)

 Loading ...