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Information:
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One of the Twelve Apostles, mentioned sixth in
the three Gospel lists (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14), and seventh in
the list of Acts (1:13).
The name (Bartholomaios) means "son of
Talmai" (or Tholmai) which was an ancient Hebrew name, borne, e.g. by
the King of Gessur whose daughter was a wife of David (2 Samuel 3:3). It
shows, at least, that Bartholomew was of Hebrew descent; it may have been his
genuine proper name or simply added to distinguish him as the son of Talmai.
Outside the instances referred to, no other mention of the name occurs in the
New Testament.
Nothing further is known of him for certain. Many
scholars, however, identify him with Nathaniel (John 1:45-51; 21:2). The
reasons for this are that Bartholomew is not the proper name of the Apostle;
that the name never occurs in the Fourth Gospel, while Nathaniel is not
mentioned in the synoptics; that Bartholomew's name is coupled with Philip's
in the lists of Matthew and Luke, and found next to it in Mark, which agrees
well with the fact shown by St. John that Philip was an old friend of
Nathaniel's and brought him to Jesus; that the call of Nathaniel, mentioned
with the call of several Apostles, seems to mark him for the apostolate,
especially since the rather full and beautiful narrative leads one to expect
some important development; that Nathaniel was of Galilee where Jesus found
most, if not all, of the Twelve; finally, that on the occasion of the
appearance of the risen Savior on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias, Nathaniel
is found present, together with several Apostles who are named and two
unnamed Disciples who were, almost certainly, likewise Apostles (the word
"apostle" not occurring in the Fourth Gospel and
"disciple" of Jesus ordinarily meaning Apostle) and so, presumably,
was one of the Twelve. This chain of circumstantial evidence is ingenious and
pretty strong; the weak link is that, after all, Nathaniel may have been another
personage in whom, for some reason, the author of the Fourth Gospel may have
been particularly interested, as he was in Nicodemus, who is likewise not
named in the synoptics.
No mention of St. Bartholomew occurs in
ecclesiastical literature before Eusebius, who mentions that Pantaenus, the
master of Origen, while evangelizing India, was told that the Apostle had
preached there before him and had given to his converts the Gospel of St.
Matthew written in Hebrew, which was still treasured by the Church.
"India" was a name covering a very wide area, including even Arabia
Felix. Other traditions represent St. Bartholomew as preaching in
Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Armenia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, and on the shores of
the Black Sea; one legend, it is interesting to note, identifies him with
Nathaniel.
The manner of his death, said to have occurred at
Albanopolis in Armenia, is equally uncertain; according to some, he was
beheaded, according to others, flayed alive and crucified, head downward, by
order of Astyages, for having converted his brother, Polymius, King of
Armenia. On account of this latter legend, he is often represented in art
(e.g. in Michelangelo's Last Judgment) as flayed and holding in his hand his
own skin. His relics are thought by some to be preserved in the church of St.
Bartholomew-in-the-Island, at Rome. His feast is celebrated on 24 August. An
apocryphal gospel of Bartholomew existed in the early ages.
source EWTN
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