Portal:Saints/Selected biography/August 2007

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 twelve Apostles of Jesus. Bartholomew (Greek: Βαρθολομαίος, transliterated "Bartholomaios") comes from the Aramaic bar-Tôlmay (תולמי-בר), meaning son of Tolmay (Ptolemy) or son of the furrows (perhaps a ploughman).

The festival of St. Bartholomew is celebrated on August 24. The festival has also been a traditional occasion for markets and fairs; such a fair serves as the scene for Bartholomew Fair, a play by Ben Jonson.

Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve Apostles in the three Synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. He also appears as one of the witnesses of the Ascension (Acts 1:4, 12, 13).