Discover the Unexpected: Top 13 Fun Facts About Bartholomew the Apostle You Never Knew!

1. Party Hardy St. Barty: Patron Saint of Leather & Bookbinding

Party Hardy, St. Bartholomew: Known for playing cupid between Philip the Apostle and Jesus, delivering zingers like calling old Phil "an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile", and visiting the most jaw-dropping lands in the ancient world. But that's not all – he also became the patron saint of all things leather, cobbling, and tanning. Oh, and let's not forget bookbinding - because our boy Barty was just that versatile!
Source => catholicculture.org

2. Open-Mic Nights with Apostle Barty: Flayed Alive or Beheaded?

If Bartholomew the Apostle ever performed during open-mic comedy nights with his fellow apostles, his signature performance would probably be "Flayed Alive or Beheaded? The Jokes Write Themselves!": Bartholomew was a revered apostle who spread Christianity across the globe, credited with missionary tours to India, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Lycaonia, and Ethiopia, and allegedly met a brutal end in Armenia, becoming a patron saint for bookbinders and even neurological and skin diseases.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know John the Apostle didn't initially succeed but went on to write the Bible and play a crucial role in Jesus' life? Find out more fascinating details!

=> Fun Facts about John-The-Apostle

3. Bartholomew, the Saint with a Skin-Shedding Portrait

Somebody get that man a moisturizer: Bartholomew the Apostle is often portrayed in Christian art proudly holding or wearing his own skin, since he's said to have been skinned alive before meeting his grisly end by beheading or crucifixion.
Source => overviewbible.com

4. Silence of the Lambs Meets St. Bartholomew: Holy Butcher Extraordinaire

Remember that scene in "Silence of the Lambs" where Anthony Hopkins so eloquently discusses the culinary art of skinning? St. Bartholomew could relate, but in a way less creepy and far more noble fashion: This apostle was infamously martyred by being flayed alive and crucified upside down, all while symbolically clutching a knife and offering his skin as a sacred sacrifice to the Almighty. A skeptic turned believer under a fig tree, Bartholomew traveled far and wide, spreading the Good News with unparalleled conviction and showcasing that transformations truly happen the moment Jesus takes notice.
Source => growchristians.org

5. Skin Care Specialist and Spiritual Guide: Saint Bartholomew's Unique Journey

Who knew skinning could be a saintly affair? Saint Bartholomew, the holy butcher, might have you second-guessing your job choices and skin care routine: This apostolic patron of bookbinders, butchers, neurological and skin diseases, and plasterers met his untimely demise by flaying, which is now depicted in art, and his relics have since found homes in various shrines like the Basilica San Bartolomeo and the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral. What might still be up for debate is whether he ever explored India and Armenia, with scholars flip-flopping on their views!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Fig Tree Chillin': Bartholomew's Transformation to Apostle Rockstar

Before he became a globe-trotting, miracle-witnessing, no-razor-ever-touching-his-face apostle rockstar, Bartholomew was just your average guy chilling by the fig tree: Known as Nathanael, he became one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, traveling alongside him and witnessing events like the feeding of the 5,000 and the resurrection. Making an impact in Armenia and India, Bartholomew's journey sadly ended when he was martyred by being flayed alive, but his unwavering dedication to spreading the gospel ensured his legacy would never fade away.
Source => esv.org

7. Tanning, Flaying and Fashion: Bartholomew's Ironic Connection

Who knew Bartholomew the Apostle had a flair for fashion - in a raw and skin-timate way, that is?: Bartholomew is often associated with the trade of tanning, as he was allegedly skilled in flaying the skin of animals for leatherwork – an ironic twist, as he himself was flayed before meeting his untimely, martyr’s end, although there is no concrete evidence of his profession in the Bible or other early church writings.
Source => overviewbible.com

8. Globe-Trotting Apostle Barty: Missionary Work & Armenian Veneration

Before he was flayed and laid to rest, Bartholomew the Apostle was busy making furrowed brows across the ancient world with his dynamic missionary work: As one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, Bartholomew was a vital player in spreading Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century, with debated endeavors in India, and is now venerated as a patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church with his relics taking a well-earned break in various Italian basilicas.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Anti-Scammer & Patron Saint of Dermatologists: Reliable Bartholomew

Before being canonized as the patron saint of all dermatologists, Bartholomew served as the ultimate anti-scammer for a simpler reason: he was the OG Israelite without guile. The serious reveal: His reliability and authenticity as a disciple was so strong, he missioned across Jerusalem, Asia Minor, and Southern Russia to found numerous churches, solidifying his saint status—despite the frightening trio of skinning knives that symbolize his martyrdom by flaying alive and crucifixion.
Source => stjoeweirton.org

10. St. Barty, the Ultimate Martyr: Flayed Alive or Crucified Upside Down?

Talk about not being able to "save your own skin": Bartholomew the Apostle, also known as Nathanael, met an untimely and chilling end by either being flayed alive or crucified upside down, proving his unwavering dedication to the word of Jesus Christ.
Source => loandbeholdbible.com

11. Holy Intestines! Biblical Wingman & Miracle Worker: Bartholomew's Travels

Hold onto your Holy Intestines Batman, we've got a saintly companion who's got a one-way ticket on the Miracle Express: St. Bartholomew, aka Nathaniel, was a close BFF of Jesus, played wingman as one of the twelve apostles, and toured India preaching the Gospel while dabbling in healing the sick, exorcising demons, and racking up air miles when his allegedly magical remains took a field trip to Benevento, Italy for some good old-fashioned veneration.
Source => christianiconography.info

12. Biblical Johnny Appleseed: Planting Christianity Around the World

Like a biblical Johnny Appleseed, Bartholomew the Apostle traversed the globe planting seeds of Christianity in the unlikeliest of places: His green thumb made its mark in India, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Lycaonia, and Armenia, leaving behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew in India and even earning patron saint status alongside Jude in the Armenian Apostolic Church. Sadly, his horticultural hobby came to a tragic end when he was martyred in Albanopolis, Armenia, where he was flayed alive and crucified head downward, yet his spiritual foliage continues to flourish.
Source => christian-hx.fyi

13. Laughter & Leprosy Healing: Bartholomew's Kingly Miracle & Commemorative Monastery

They say laughter is the best medicine, but for a certain king with a case of the scaly grouchies, Bartholomew the Apostle had an even better prescription: swift and miraculous leprosy healing! The grateful King Sanatruk built the St. Bartholomew Monastery in honor of the apostle, a sacred site that, despite having a major case of Turkish military-induced indigestion, remains a crumbling tribute to Bartholomew's legacy in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Source => en.wikipedia.org