# Bartholomew, The Holy Apostle Of Christ, First Greatly Tortured, Then Flayed Alive, And Finally Beheaded, In Armenia, By King Astyages, About A. D. 70.

c. 70 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: BARTHOLOMEW, THE HOLY APOSTLE OF CHRIST, FIRST GREATLY TORTURED, THEN FLAYED ALIVE, AND FINALLY BEHEADED, IN ARMENIA, BY KING ASTYAGES, ABOUT A. D. 70.

Source heading; not independently verified

BARTHOLOMEW FLAYED ON THE CROSS.

Bartholomew, which signifies, the son of Tholomaeus,
was a Galilean, like all the other apostles;
and also a fisherman, according to the opinion of
Theodoretus; some, however, hold, that he was
of royal descent, and the nephew of the king of
Syria.

Little is said of him in Holy Scripture aside from
what relates to his call to the apostleship to preach
the Gospel with the others throughout Judea and
Galilee, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
After Christ’s resurrection he was confirmed in his
apostleship, and, with the others who were in like
ministry, received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Matt.
10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14,15; Acts 2:1–5.

After the separation of the apostles he exercised
his ministry first in Lycaonia, then in Syria and
the upper parts of Asia, and afterwards in India,
where, as the chronicles relate, Pantenus, a teacher
of Alexandria, coming to the same place, about a
century afterwards, found and took away with him
the Gospel of Matthew, which Bartholomew had
brought thither, and which he had taught the
Indians in their native tongue. Isid. de part
N. T., J. Gys. Hieron., Catal. Pantaleon, Euseb.,
lib. 3, cap. 10, J. Gys.

Finally he spread the Gospel in Great Armenia,
and there, in Albana, or Albanopolis, the capital
86and residence of the kingdom of Poleno, or Palemonio,
and converted King Astyages’ brother, together
with his wife, two sons, and a daughter, to
the faith. Hieron. Cat. Barthol., J. Gys.

He moreover, as is stated by others, delivered
from idolatry, and enlightened with the knowledge
of Jesus Christ, twelve cities in that country, in
which the devil was worshiped through the idol
Ashtaroth. But the priests of Ashtaroth, being
very much vexed on account of this, complained to
King Astyages, who caused Bartholomew, this holy
apostle of Christ, to be apprehended and brought
before him.

When Bartholomew stood before the king, the
latter upbraided him, that he had perverted his
brother, and unsettled the worship of the gods in
his country. He therefore threatened him with
death, unless he would desist preaching Christ, and
sacrifice to his gods.

When Bartholomew had replied to this accusation,
saying, that he had not perverted, but converted,
his brother, that he had preached the true
worship of God in his country, and that he would
rather seal his testimony with his blood, than suffer
the least shipwreck of his faith or conscience, the
king gave orders, that he should first be severely
tortured and beaten with rods, then be suspended
on a cross with his head downwards, flayed alive,
and finally beheaded with the ax. This having been
done with him, he was united with Christ, his Lord.
Niceph. lib. 3, cap. 39, Isid. Hisp. de vita et obitu
sanct. J. Gys. Hist. Mart. super Bartholomeum.

Others relate that the sentence pronounced upon
Bartholomew extended no further, than that he
should be flayed on the cross, without any mention
of decapitation; but that, as he, being still alive
after having been flayed, exhorted the people, his
head was struck off with an ax, in order to prevent
this, he having committed his spirit into the hands
of God. Konst-tooneel van veertig, about the Life
of Bartholomew. Also, Bybelsch Naemboek, printed
at Horn, Anno 1632, letter B. on the name Bartholomew,
fol. 159, col. 2.

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/i0175.jpg)



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