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| St. Bartholomew's window. |
According to the Synoptic Gospels, St. Bartholomew is identified by many biblical scholars with Nathanael, a native of Galilee described in John 1:45-51:
| Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. |
Unsubstantiated tradition relates that he was a missionary in many countries and preached the gospel in India (properly Arabia), where he left behind a copy, in Hebrew, of the Gospel of Matthew. He is traditionally said to have been flayed alive in Albanopolis, Armenia, or in India. The knife and the book as his symbols in this window refer to his spreading the Word and his death.
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