iters as one of the most active of the
apostles after Christ's death, and as operating in lands far from
Palestine.

_Thomas_, also known as Didymus, the Greek equivalent of his Hebrew
name, meaning "a twin," is mentioned as a witness of the raising of
Lazarus. His devotion to Jesus is shown by his desire to accompany the
Lord to Bethany, though persecution in that region was almost certain.
To his fellow apostles Thomas said: "Let us also go, that we may die
with him."[495] Even as late in his experience as the night before the
crucifixion, Thomas had failed to comprehend the impending necessity of
the Savior's sacrifice; and when Jesus referred to going away and
leaving the others to follow, Thomas asked how they could know the way.
For his lack of understanding he stood reproved.[496] He was absent when
the resurrected Christ appeared to the assembled disciples in the
evening of the day of His rising; and on being informed by the others
that they had seen the Lord, he forcefully expressed his doubt, and
declared he would not believe unless he could see and feel for himself
the wounds in the crucified body. Eight days later the Lord visited the
apostles again, when, as on the earlier occasion, they were within
closed doors; and to Thomas the Lord said: "Reach hither thy finger, and
behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side."
Then Thomas, no longer doubting but with love and reverence filling his
soul, exclaimed "My Lord and my God." The Lord said unto him: "Thomas,
because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that
have not seen, and yet have believed."[497] Of Thomas no further record
appears in the New Testament aside from that of his presence with his
fellows after the ascension.

_James_, son of Alpheus, is mentioned in the Gospels only in the matter
of his ordination to the apostleship; and but once elsewhere in the New
Testament by the appellation "son of Alpheus."[498] In writings other
than scriptural he is sometimes designated as James II to avoid
confusing him with James the son of Zebedee. There is acknowledged
uncertainty concerning the identity of James the son of Alpheus as the
James or one of the James's referred to in the Acts and the
Epistles;[499] and a plenitude of controversial literature on the
subject is extant.[500]

_Judas_ is called _Lebbeus Thaddeus_ by Matthew, _Thaddeus_ by Mark, and
_Judas the brother of James_ by Luke.[501] The only other