Michelangelo's The Last Judgement shows Saint Bartholomew holding the knife of his martyrdom and his flayed skin. The face of the skin is recognizable as Michelangelo.

Bartholomew was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus. Bartholomew (Greek Βαρθολομαιος) comes from the Aramaic bar-Tôlmay, meaning son of Tolmay or son of the furrows (perhaps a ploughman).

He is generally supposed to have been the same person as Nathanael. In the Synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Philip and Bartholomew are always mentioned together, while Nathanael is never mentioned; in the gospel of John, on the other hand, Philip and Nathanael are similarly mentioned together, but nothing is said of Bartholomew.

According to Syrian tradition, Bartholomew's original name was Jesus, which caused him to adopt another name.

According to scripture, Bartholomew was one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after the resurrection (John 21:2). He also witnessed the ascension (Acts 1:4, 12, 13).

Tradition has it that after the ascension, Bartholomew went on a missionary tour to India, where he left behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. In works of art he is often represented with a large knife, or, as in Michelangelo's Last Judgment, with his own skin hanging over his arm, because tradition holds that in Armenia he was flayed alive and then crucified with his head upside down. This fate has led to him being adopted as the patron saint of tanners.

The festival of St. Bartholomew is celebrated on August 24.

Alternate forms

• Catalan: Bartomeu
• Czech: Bartolomej
• Dutch: Bartholomeus (learned); Bartel (vernacular)
• Finnish: Perttu
• French: Barthélemy
• German: Bartolomäus
• Hungarian: Bertalan (given name), Bartal, Bartos, Bartó (last names)
• Irish Gaelic: Bairtliméad or Parthálan
• Italian: Bartolo(m)meo
• Maltese: Bartoloméw (learned); Bartilméw (vernacular)
• Polish: Bartłomiej (learned); Bartosz (vernacular)
• Portuguese: Bartolomeu
• Provençal: Barthomieu
• Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlan
• Spanish: Bartolomé
• Russian: Varfolomei
• Slovene: Jernej

Sources

• Easton's Bible Dictionary,1897.
• Encyclopedia Anglicana, 1911
• Dictionary of First Names, Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges. Oxford University Press, 1996

See also

• St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

External links

• The Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Bartholomew, attributed to Pseudo-Abdias , one of the minor Church Fathers