ical ▁elements ▁provide ▁important ▁evidence ▁for ▁early ▁Sy rian ▁Christian ▁trad itions ," ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁An chor ▁Bible ▁Dictionary . ▁ ▁Act s ▁of ▁Thomas ▁is ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁epis od ic ▁Act s ▁( Lat in ▁pass io ) ▁that ▁occurred ▁during ▁the ▁evangel istic ▁mission ▁of ▁Jud as ▁Thomas ▁(" J ud as ▁the ▁T win ") ▁to ▁India . ▁It ▁ends ▁with ▁his ▁mart yr dom : ▁he ▁dies ▁pier ced ▁with ▁spe ars , ▁having ▁earned ▁the ▁i re ▁of ▁the ▁monarch ▁Mis da eus ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁conversion ▁of ▁Mis da eus ' ▁w ives ▁and ▁a ▁relative , ▁Char is ius . ▁He ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁while ▁converting ▁Indian ▁follow ers ▁won ▁through ▁the ▁performing ▁of ▁m ira cles . ▁ ▁Em bed ded ▁in ▁the ▁Act s ▁of ▁Thomas ▁at ▁different ▁places ▁according ▁to ▁differ ing ▁manuscript ▁trad itions ▁is ▁a ▁Sy ri ac ▁h ymn , ▁The ▁H ymn ▁of ▁the ▁Pear l , ▁( or ▁H ymn ▁of ▁the ▁Soul ), ▁a ▁poem ▁that ▁gained ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁popular ity ▁in ▁main stream ▁Christian ▁circles . ▁The ▁H ymn ▁is ▁older ▁than ▁the ▁Act s ▁into ▁which ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁inserted , ▁and ▁is ▁worth ▁appreci ating ▁on ▁its ▁own . ▁The ▁text ▁is ▁interrupted ▁with ▁the ▁poetry ▁of ▁another ▁h ymn , ▁the ▁one ▁that ▁begins ▁" Come , ▁thou ▁holy ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁Christ ▁that ▁is ▁above ▁every ▁name " ▁( 2 . 2 7 ), ▁a ▁theme ▁that ▁was