BARTHOLOMEW, GOSPEL [QUESTIONS] OF. A Gospel of Bartholomew is mentioned by Jerome (MPL XXVI. 17A) among other apocryphal works; the Decretum Gelasianum speaks of “gospels,” which may be simply an error but could also indicate knowledge of more than one document. Other references are rather few and late. Some scholars have linked the work with the Heb. Gospel of Matthew, said to have been carried by Bartholomew to India (Euseb. HEV. x. 3), but this seems unlikely: in view of his interest in the “Hebrew Gospel” Jerome could not have written as he did had they been identical.

The extant lit. under Bartholomew’s name includes a Coptic “Book of the Resurrection of Christ by Bartholomew the Apostle” (q.v.), several Coptic fragments of doubtful attribution, and a document entitled the “Questions of Bartholomew.” This last is extant in five recensions, two Gr., two Lat. and one Slavonic, of varying extent and quality. It begins with a question put by the apostles before the Passion, to which Jesus replies: “I can reveal nothing to you before I have put off this body of flesh.” After the Resurrection the apostles do not dare to ask again, but Bartholomew plucks up courage and asks Jesus where He went from the cross. This led to an account of the Descensus ad Inferos which has some points of affinity with the “Acts of Pilate” (q. v.). In the second ch. the apostles ask Mary about the birth of Jesus, persisting despite her warning of the consequences. As she relates the story of the Annunciation (expanded with apocryphal detail), fire comes from her mouth as she prophesied, and the world is on the point of being burned up when Jesus intervenes. In ch. 3 the apostles ask to be shown the abyss; in ch. 4 Peter urges Mary to ask Jesus to reveal to them all that is in the heavens. This, however, is forgotten in the sequel, as each tries to persuade the other to go forward, Mary urging that Peter is the rock on which the Lord built His Church; Peter, urging that Mary had made good the transgression of Eve. Then Bartholomew asks to be shown the adversary of men, and after some demur Jesus grants the request. Beliar is brought up, held by 660 angels and bound with chains. After a description of him, Bartholomew is empowered to tread upon his neck and question him about his doings. Beliar declares his name was at first Satanael and later Satan, and describes the creation of the angels. A question from Bartholomew elicits an account of the punishment of the wicked, and before his departure Satan relates the story of his fall. There are links with other texts, and also some highly fanciful etymologies. In the final ch. Bartholomew asks Jesus which is the most grievous sin, and what is the sin against the Holy Spirit. The chs. are of unequal length, the fourth being esp. long. The ascription to Bartholomew is obviously linked with the fact that it is he who figures most prominently among the apostles. The book is not identical with the “Book of the Resurrection,” although there are certain affinities. Its date is prob. not earlier than the 5th or 6th cent., but it may be based on older material. Schneemelcher (NTAp. I. 508) conjectures that both streams of tradition may go back to the 3rd or 4th cent. with the possibility of a shorter Gospel of Bartholomew as the starting point for the development.

Bibliography Tr. in ANT 166 ff., NTAp. i. 486ff.