Listed 4 sub titles with search on: Religious figures biography for wider area of: "ETHIOPIA Country EAST AFRICA" .
ALBANOPOLIS (Ancient city) ETHIOPIA
St. Bartholomew
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.
John. F. Fenlon, ed.
This text is cited Oct 2005 from The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent online edition URL below.
Bartholomaeus (Bartholomaios), one of the twelve apostles of our Lord. Eusebius (H. E. v. 10) informs us, that when Pantaenus visited the Indians, he found in their possession a Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, which their fathers had received from Bartholomew. The story is confirmed by Jerome, who relates that this Hebrew Gospel was brought to Alexandria by Pantaenus. It is not very easy to determine who these Indians were; but Mosheim and Neander, who identify them with the inhabitants of Arabia Felix, are probably in the right. The time, place, and manner of the death of Bartholomew are altogether uncertain. There was an apocryphal gospel falsely attributed to him, which is condemned by Pope Gelasius in his decree de Libris Apocryphis.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ETHIOPIA (Country) EAST AFRICA
d.c. 1st century, feastday: September 21
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