▁in ▁Ser bia . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Pop ulated ▁places ▁in ▁Kol ub ara ▁District <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁early ▁ 3 rd - century ▁text ▁called ▁Act s ▁of ▁Thomas ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Testament ▁ap oc ry pha . ▁References ▁to ▁the ▁work ▁by ▁E pi phan ius ▁of ▁Sal am is ▁show ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁circul ation ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century . ▁The ▁complete ▁versions ▁that ▁surv ive ▁are ▁Sy ri ac ▁and ▁Greek . ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁surv iving ▁fragments ▁of ▁the ▁text . ▁Sch ol ars ▁detect ▁from ▁the ▁Greek ▁that ▁its ▁original ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁Sy ri ac , ▁which ▁places ▁the ▁Act s ▁of ▁Thomas ▁in ▁Ed essa . ▁ ▁The ▁surv iving ▁Sy ri ac ▁manuscript s , ▁however , ▁have ▁been ▁edited ▁to ▁pur ge ▁them ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁un orth odox ▁over t ly ▁Enc rat ite ▁pass ages , ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁Greek ▁versions ▁reflect ▁the ▁earlier ▁tradition . ▁ ▁F rag ments ▁of ▁four ▁other ▁cycles ▁of ▁roman ces ▁around ▁the ▁figure ▁of ▁the ▁apost le ▁Thomas ▁surv ive , ▁but ▁this ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁complete ▁one . ▁It ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁confused ▁with ▁the ▁early ▁" say ings " ▁G ospel ▁of ▁Thomas . ▁" Like ▁other ▁ap oc ry phal ▁acts ▁combining ▁popular ▁legend ▁and ▁religious ▁propag anda , ▁the ▁work ▁attempts ▁to ▁entertain ▁and ▁instruct . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁narr atives ▁of ▁Thomas ' ▁advent ures , ▁its ▁po etic ▁and ▁lit urg