Pattanam-DNA and Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage

Dr. Mar Aprem Honorary President and P.J. Cherian is  President  -Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/project-to-trace-and-preserve-syrian-xian-texts-in-progress/584343.html February  2011 Project to trace and preserve Syrian X''ian texts in progress PTI | 12:02 PM,Feb 20,2011 As part of the resistance to the "Latinisation" campaign, community leaders congregated at Mattanchery near Kochi in January 1653 and took a vow not to fall in line. This event was known as the "Bent Cross Oath" or "Koonan Kurishu Sathyam" in Kerala history. The facsimile edition of the canon law was published by the Georgias Press LLC, USA, as part of an extensive project to survey, catalogue and digitise manuscripts in Syriac, the language spoken by Jesus, Aprem said. The project also seeks to unearth and preserve other heritage material relating to over 2000 years of Christianity in Kerala and make them available to the scholarly community as well as the public. According to tradition, Syriac, also known as Aramaic,was not just the mother tongue of Jesus but also held in high reverence by early Christians as the language in which God conversed with Adam and patriarchs like Abraham, Aprem said. The project was first launched by the Kottayam-based Saint Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute (SEERI) and the Central European University, Budapest. The project has also collaboration with the Oriental Institute of Tubingen univsersity, Germany, Hill Museum and Manuscript library (HMML), Minnesota, and Beth Mardutho, the Syriac Institute, New Jersey. A local forum, called Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage, with Dr P J Cherian, Director of the Kerala Council for Historical Research as President and Aprem as Hononary President was formed in March 2008 to locatae, gather and preserve all available documents. The Association's efforts in tracing and preserving the manuscripts and archival documents in diverse languages as well as monuments and works of art were progressing,Aprem said "The Syrian Christians in Kerala, despite being divided into different church denominiations, are keen to trace their roots and preserve documents relating to their evolution through centuries," he said. About 150 manuscripts had been digitized including the Chaldean Kashkol written in 1585 at Kothamangalam and 'Hudra' (prayer book for 365 days), he said. An Aramaic scholar, Aprem received his doctorate in History of Assyrian Church and some time back brought out a book, 'Teach Yourself Aramaic', received well in India and abroad. For Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala, Syriac used to be the main church language until the mid-20th century and it has enriched the vocabulary of the Malayalam language contributing words lik 'Malaakha' (Aangel), 'Kudasah' (Sacrament), Qurbana' (Mass), Mishiha' (messiah) and 'Mammodeesa' (baptism), Aprem said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consecration of DNA Seminar on September 2011 Showing Metropolitan Dr. Mar Aprem of Assyrian Church

Church has Final Say on DNA and Archaeology of India

Consecration of DNA Seminar on September 2011 Showing Metropolitan Dr. Mar Aprem of Assyrian Church   

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Official Publication on March 2011 by Dr. Mar Aprem  and P.J.Cherian Declaring Pattanam as Landing Spot of St' Thomas

http://news.assyrianchurch.com/ancient-texts-get-digital-touch/1361

Ancient Texts Get Digital Touch

Posted on 05 March 2011. Tags: Mar Aprem Mooken

An attempt to trace and preserve documents pertaining to St. Thomas Christians in Kerala received a boost when some ancient texts were digitized.
“This historic achievement would help establish the Syrian Christians link with Saint Thomas the Apostle,” said Metropolitan Mar Aprem Mooken of Church of East, a day after 180 rare documents were digitized. The metropolitan heads the St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute in Kerala which has undertaken the project in collaboration with the state’s communist government and the Central European University in Budapest.
The project aims to catalogue and digitize the documents related to Christians who trace their faith to the apostle, Bishop Mooken said. It wants to find out the roots of religious practices among these Christians who are now scattered in many denominations, including the Catholic Church, the bishop said. These Christians believe the saint came to Kerala in 52 AD and preached the gospel before his death in neighboring Tamil Nadu state 20 years later.
The digitized documents were in Bishop Mooken’s possession. One of them was a facsimile edition of the canon law practiced by St. Thomas Christians. Its original had disappeared seven centuries ago, Bishop Mooken said.
Metropolitan Abdisho Bar Brikha of Nisibis and Armenia, a province of the Church of the East, compiled the canon in his own hand in 1291. Istva Prczel of the Budapest university edited the revived text.
Bishop Mooken, 70, said the research center has received another 200 documents from various sources that it plans to digitize soon. He said Syrian Christians lost vital clues about their culture and heritage when the Portuguese missioners burnt large volumes of their literature in 1599.
St. Thomas Christians had for centuries followed the Eastern rites and liturgy which brought them in conflict with the Portuguese missioners. The Portuguese wanted to ensure the dominance of Latin liturgy over St. Thomas Christians, he explained.
Another retrieved document is Kashkol, a breviary-prayer book, that “miraculously survived destruction by the Portuguese inquisitors,” the prelate said.

P.J. Cherian, who heads the Kerala Council of Historical Research, said the facsimile edition of religious texts of St. Thomas Christians is a “turning point” in history. Recent excavations in Kerala have found evidence of a port city that existed more than 2,000 years at a place where Saint Thomas is believed to have landed. Preserving the lost documents would shed new light on the cultural heritage of people of Kerala.

Source: ucanews.com

After Aryan Invasion DNA Profiling Gains Momentum Following Pattanam Excavations

 http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2489303.ece

The Hindu 

PATHANAMTHITTA, September 27, 2011

Study says Ezhavas have European paternal lineage

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

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DNA profiling of Kerala population throws up interesting pointers

Ezhavas have more genotypic resemblance to the Jat Sikh population of Punjab and the Turkish populations than to East Asians, indicating a paternal lineage of European origin, according to a DNA- profiling study of the Kerala population. It was done by a team from the Department of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering at the Sree Buddha College of Engineering at Pattoor, near Pandalam, comprising Seema Nair P, Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering; Aswathy Geetha, and Chippy Jagannath.

Their academic paper was published in the Croatian Medical Journal (Croat MedJ) in June. The study analysed the short tandem repeat (STR) profile of Y-chromosomes in male blood. Blood samples were collected from 104 unrelated healthy Ezhava men over a period of one year from October 2009.

As many as 98 of the 104 haplotypes (a combination of DNA sequences) examined were found to be unique ones. “Out of the 104 haplotypes, 10 were found identical to the Jat Sikh population of Punjab, which is the greatest number among the Indian populations, and four to the Turkish population, which is the greatest number among the European populations. It further clarifies that the Ezhavas were genetically more similar to the Europeans (60%) than to the East Asians (40%),” report said.

“Due to the geographical position of the Indian Peninsula between Africa, the Pacific, and west and east Eurasia, different populations have moved through its territory. This is why [the] ethnic Indian population shows enormous cultural, linguistic, and genetic diversity.

The long sea coast of Kerala on the southern most part of India has provided a gateway to India for many Asian, European, and Sri Lankan missionaries and traders. Non-tribal communities of Kerala, as shown by a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) analysis, were influenced by Dravidian, Indo-European, and East Asian gene pools.''

The Ezhava population of Kerala has features of European, Central Asian, and East Asian gene pools. Mitochondrial DNA studies validated the presence of two distinct, eastern and western Eurasian-specific lineage groups in India, suggesting at least two separate migration events to India, says the report.

According to K. Sasikumar, chairman of Sree Buddha Education Society, the data would help develop unique genetic fingerprints or a DNA barcode for personal identification, forensic analysis, and so on.

Pattanam Feedbacks-DNA proves Hindu Ezhavas have West Asian-Meditterranean Ancestry

After Church history Association of India (CHAI) and its Secretary George Menanchery came up with claims that Chitpavan Brahmins, Tulu Brahmins and Namputhiri Brahmins of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala have Jewish ancestry which has been proved by church DNA profiling, it is the  Hindu Ezhava community that has been targeted. DNA profiling by students of Sri Buddha Engineering college, Pandalam has  made up claims that Hindu Ezhava community of Kerala have Mediterranean(European) and West Asian ancestry proved by DNA profiling.(The Hindu 27-09-2011 Thiruvananthapuram Edition ) The common factor that has united church DNA and engineering college students is the common background raised by them . They have claimed that Roman-Greece Turkish and Mediterranean traders have visited Muziris and  the West Asian ancestry by Ezhavas and Brahmins have been obtained through sea trade  ie Pattanam. The Church history Association of India (CHAI)  and Mar Gregorios study forum organised a talk on Pattanam which was presented by P.J.Cherian at Malankara Orthodox church.

DNA Profiling Proves Chitpavan Brahmans , Tulu Brahmins, Nampoothiri Brahmins of Maharshtra, Karnataka and Kerala have Jewish Patriarchal Ancestry as Syrian Christians--Church History Association of India

 http://www.indianchristianity.com/html/NewsDigest.htm

A Post Pattanam Devolopment- Pattanam Archaeology linked with DNA

After pattanam excavations was used by P.J.Cherian to ascetain the arrival of St' Thomas in Kerala, a parallel devoloment is taking place. Dr. Mini Kariappa of department of genetics, Jubilee mission Medical college, Thrishur and  and also of Kolencheri Medical centre has come out with George Menanchery of Church History Association of India (CHAI) that Chitpavan Brahmins, Tulu Brahmins and Nampoothiri Brahmins of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala  have a common Jewish ancestry like Syrian christians. Dr. Kariappa and George  claim that it has been detected from DNA profiling. A detailed paper shall be presented at Triennial conference and Platinum Jubilee of Church History Association of India (CHAI) taking place at Hyderabad from 6th to 9nth October 2011. More details and pictures can be seen from other postings

DNA Gambling by Christian Church-From Archaeology to DNA

DNA Gambling by Christian Church to Prove Jews From Syria-Turkey and Meditarranean were Paternals of Hindus-From  Pattanam Archaeology to DNA Profiling

http://www.indianchristianity.com/html/NewsDigest.htm

 Pattanam excavations were conducted to establish the St' Thomas legend as History. Now DNA profiling has started to establish that the forefathers of Hindus were Jews.It has been argued by P.J.Cherian that west Asian ceramics from Pattanam  has links with Nebatian Jews  of Dead Sea region (P.J.Cherian Muziris Heritage Project -Pattanam Excavations -2008 Published by Kerala Council for Historical Research -Thiruvananthapuram). Before Pattanam excavation work was about to be launched in full swing in 2004,  Dr. Mini Kariappa Asst. Professor/ Professor of Anatomy & Genetics at the Jubilee Mission Medical College of Thrissur and Kolenchery College of Medicine started her work to diagnose blood samples for DNA mapping at the Hyderabad Center.When she shared her findings with  George Menancheri President of Church History Association of India  (CHAI) included a sentence about her finding that the Chitpavan Brahmins, the Tulu Brahmins, the Namboothiris and the Nazranies or Syrian Christians all have the same DNA factors i.e. those of the Jews . It was presented in his paper at the 13th Triennial of the Chuch History Association of India CHAI at Goa on ASPECTS OF THE IDEA OF “CLEAN AND UNCLEAN” AMONG THE BRAHMINS, THE JEWS, AND THE ST. THOMAS CHRISTIANS OF KERALA . Now Mini Kariappa has presented her paper at the World Genetic Conference held at Manipal and has been published in their Journal.Recently she gave a presentation of her interesting findings at Kuravilangad  Conference of Syrian Christians inaugurated by Mr. K. M. Mani and attended b MLAs Bishops  and Metropolitans . It was  presided over by Prof. George Menachery.Mini Kariappa's paper  will be presented at the Platinum Jubilee and 15th Triennial Conference of CHAI the Church History Association of India 6-9 Oct. 2011 at Hyderabad. On September 27 , 2011 It was reported that Coastal region of Kerala has provided a gateway for traders, especially from Mediterranean region . DNA profiling at Department of biotechnology  at SriBuddha college of engineering has found that the Ezhava Hindus of Kerala have Paternal lineage with Europeans and those of Syria-Turkey region.(The Hindu 27-September 2011-Thiruvananthapuram Edition)

Church DNA Profiling Claims Jewish Paternal Lineage for Hindus -Post Pattanam Scenario

Post Pattanam Devolopment-Photos of Papers Presented on Church DNA Profiling -Details on Earlier Post - http://www.nazraney.com/journal36.htm Presidential address by Prof. George Menachery
Dr. Mini Kariappa presents her paper based on her research on Syrian Christian, Jewish, and Namboothiri DNAs at the Hyderabad Center

Anugraha Prabhashanam by Metropolitan Dr. Mar Aprem of Assyrian Church  and  P.J.Cherian's Mentor