the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Bartholomew
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Barthol´omew (the son of Tolmai, 2 Samuel 13:37) was one of the twelve Apostles, and is generally supposed to have been the same individual who in John's Gospel is called Nathanael. The reason of this opinion is, that in the three first Gospels Philip and Bartholomew are constantly named together, while Nathanael is nowhere mentioned; on the contrary, in the fourth Gospel the names of Philip and Nathanael are similarly combined, but nothing is said of Bartholomew. Nathanael therefore must be considered as his real name, while Bartholomew merely expresses his filial relation. He was a native of Cana in Galilee (John 21:2). He was introduced by Philip to Jesus, who, on seeing him approach, at once pronounced that eulogy on his character which has made his name almost synonymous with sincerity: 'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile' (John 1:47). He was one of the disciples to whom our Lord appeared after his resurrection, at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:2); he was also a witness of the Ascension, and returned with the other Apostles to Jerusalem (Acts 1:4; Acts 1:12-13). Of his subsequent history we have little more than vague traditions.
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Bartholomew'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/b/bartholomew.html.
