Archdeacons, Medieval History, Nasrani History, Tomb of Archdeacons

B. George, I think it is likely that one …

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Comment posted Role, Characteristics, List and Tomb of Archdeacons (Arkadiyakons) of Saint Thomas Christians by John Mathew.

B. George,

I think it is likely that one major input to the Nasrani pool were Jewish converts. This can be partially-demonstrated via the presence of the Cohen Modal Hap., as well as via various family traditions that refer to Jewish ancestors. And we have the custom of Pesaha which is unparalleled in other Christian communities. Plus, there are the copper cheppads in the possession of the Syriac Christians that have Jewish signatories.

But there is also evidence that another major input were the ethnically Persian Syriac Christian communities that settled in Malabar, for which there is more recent direct evidence (Pahlavi Cross, the traditions of families around Kollam, other cheppads).

It is interesting that Pakallomattom seems to have the CMH (according to some samples in the Syriac Christian DNA project). But as far as I can see, from all the available Syriac literature from Kerala from the 14-th century onwards, the Nasranis seem to have been pretty standard East Syriac Christians. Certainly the output of the Pakkalomattom family (some were scholars who wrote manuscripts that still exist) show nothing other than East Syriac works.

I think that our Jewish partial ancestors were probably active a thousand years ago, and so there are not remains of them (apart from in our genes, for those to maintain patriarchal lineage, and in some of our customs).