Bartholomew the Apostle

Bartholomew the Apostle
A painting called "The Last Judgment" made by Michelangelo shows Bartholomew holding a knife and his own skin.
Apostle, Martyr
Born	69th
Died	Albanopolis, Armenia, crucified
Venerated in	Anglicanism Eastern Orthodoxy Lutheranism Oriental Orthodoxy Roman Catholicism
Major shrine	Relics at Saint Bartholomew-on-the-Tiber Church, Rome, the Canterbury Cathedral, cathedral in Frankfurt, and the San Bartolomeo Cathedral in Lipari.
Feast	August 24 (Western), June 11 (Orthodox)
Attributes	One of the Twelve Apostles. Probably a close friend of Saint Philip; his name is always mentioned in the Gospels in connection with him, and it was Philip who brought Bartholomew to Jesus.
Patronage	Armenia; Azerbaijan; bookbinders; butchers; cobblers; Florentine cheese merchants; Florentine salt merchants; Gambatesa, Italy; leather workers; nervous diseases; neurological diseases; plasterers; shoemakers; tanners; trappers; twitching; whiteners

Bartholomew the Apostle is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He is the patron saint of Armenia, bookbinders, butchers, Florentine cheese and salt merchants, Gambatesa, Italy, leather workers; nervous diseases, plasterers; shoemakers; tanners, and trappers. Along with Saint Jude Thaddeus, he helped bring Christianity to Armenia. He is the patron saint of people who work with leather and animal skins because he was martyred (killed for his beliefs) by being skinned alive. He is usually represented by holding a large knife and his skin.

Bartholomew is also found in Islamic literature. In one such story mentioned by Suyuti, Ibn Arabi, Bayhaqi, and Abu Nuyam Bartholomew is described as one whom God has given extended life to and he meet the companions of the Prophet Muhammad in Iraq. This event took place during the reign of Umar.

Related pages

• Twelve Apostles