Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew

Acta Andrae et Bartholomaei

Standard abbreviation: Acts Andr. Bart.

Other titles: Acts of Saints Andrew and Batholomew among the Parthians, Legend of Christomaios

Clavis numbers: ECCA 319; CANT 238

Category: Apocryphal Acts

Compiled by Tony Burke, York University

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/acts-of-andrew-and-bartholomew/.

Created November 2020. Current as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

Acts Andr. Bart. can be divided into three sections: 1. the exorcism of the queen in Macedonia, 2. the torture of the apostles in Parthia, and 3. the return to Parthia with the dog-faced man. All three sections appear together in Coptic, Arabic, and Ethiopic, but the Greek comprises only section 3 (though the characters refer back to events from section 2). Section 1 begins with Jesus appearing to Bartholomew in the town of Makeda, in the land of the Kattareni (Coptic, and also said to be in Jericho; Ar. and Eth. perhaps Gerasa), and tells him to go to city of the Parthians (Ar.: El Barbar and El Batas; Eth.: Bartos and afterward to Mēkōs/Mātyās) to preach. Jesus warns Bartholomew about his coming fate: he will be burnt with fire three times, crucified many times, his body sawed apart and thrown to wild beasts, and his feet will be tied with stone and then he will be thrown into the sea. But Jesus tells him to be strong and patient, and be merciful to his persecutors, just as Jesus was with the Jewish leaders. He also promises to bring Andrew to accompany him.

Jesus appears to Andrew at midnight (Coptic adds: in the region of the Barbarians) and tells him he must accompany Bartholomew to Parthia (here also called Elam in the Coptic text). In the morning, Andrew rises with his two disciples Rufus and Alexander and they come to the sea but find no boat. They pray for assistance and then fall asleep. God brings a large fish and it swallows them (the Coptic identifies this fish as the same creature that swallowed Jonah); after three days and nights, the fish spits them up in Kattara. They wake without knowing where they are. A ship comes in, piloted by Jesus in disguise, who reveals to them they are in Kattara. Then they meet people from Macedonia seeking Bartholomew in hopes that he will heal the king’s wife of a devil. They find Bartholomew in the city and bring him to Andrew. Together with Jesus and the Macedonians, they pray for transport to Macedonia, and suddenly they are taken there by a whirlwind of waters. Once there, Bartholomew prays for the intervention of the archangel Michael, who arrives from heaven and brings the king and his household to the apostles. Bartholomew casts the demon out of the queen and they all become believers. (Note, none of the portions of the Coptic text published to date include the Macedonia episode).

Section 2 begins with Jesus summoning a wind to carry the apostles to Parthia, where they alight on top of the theatre. Jesus then reveals his identity to them, tells them about their journey in the fish, and then ascended to heaven. The apostles meet Gallinos (Copt. and Ar.: Gallion; Eth.: ’Aḳlabīyōn), the governor. He asks the apostles who they are and they say they are disciples of Jesus; some of the crowd say, “These are the twelve wizards who journey among the cities, and separate women from their husbands” (Ar., p. 17). Gallinos asks them to perform a miracle to prove the power of their god. In response, Andrew asks the four idols in the theatre if they are gods; they reply that they are only idols made to deceive people. Andrew commands them to go to the top of the theatre and declares that if they are gods, the priests will be able to command them to come back down; when the priests fail, the idols demand that the apostles be burned with fire or else they will leave the city and the city will be laid waste. The apostles then endure various tortures, just as Jesus had warned, but they are saved from harm, first by angels, and then by injuries inflicted on their persecutors (the Coptic text alone features an episode in which the apostles are sawed in two and their bodies tossed into the sea, where the fish once again swallows them and they remain there for three days and night until an angel comes for them). Finally, Gallinos offers the apostles money to depart the city; when they refuse, the people drive them out.

In section 3, Jesus appears to the apostles and tells them he will bring them to the desert where he will send to them a dog-faced man (the Kynokephalos) who they must take into Parthia. While they sleep, an angel brings them to the City of the Cannibals and leaves them on a mountain. Here the Greek text begins, though with the four men discussing their previous missionary efforts in Parthia. Then the angel finds the Kynokephalos, who is looking for someone to eat, and tells him about God. The angel takes the wildness out of the man but he is still frightful to look upon: “his height was four cubits; his face was like the face of a large dog, and his eyes like lamps of burning fire, and his back teeth like the tusks of a wild boar; and his [front] teeth like the teeth of a lion; and the nails of his feet like a curved scythe; and the nails of his hands like the claws of a lion, and his whole appearance frightful, terrifying” (Ar., p. 21).

When the disciples see the Kynokephalos, Andrew and Bartholomew run away in fear, leaving Alexander and Rufus behind. God takes away the fear from their hearts and they realize the Kynokephalos will not hurt them. They are rejoined by Andrew and Bartholomew, and they ask the Kynokephalos his name; he replies Christomaios, which Andrew remarks is a mystery since it is a Christian name (in Ar. and Eth. the man says his name is “Bewitched” [Eth.: Abominable], but the apostles say that from now on he shall be called Christian; the Coptic also calls him Christian]. The group, with Christomaios’ head covered, then heads back toward Parthia but Satan, in disguise, warns Gallinos of their approach, so he closes the city gates. Andrew calls on God to break down the gates and they enter the city. The governor sends lions, bears, and leopards to kill them. Christomaios asks Andrew to remove his covering and prays to God to restore his anger; then he tears apart the animals. Afraid, the people flee and many die in the chaos. Andrew calms Christomaios and calls on the Lord to send a fire to encircle the city. The governor and the leaders of the city repent and ask for deliverance. Once they declare that they believe in Jesus, the fire goes out.

Andrew commands the people to bring all of their idols. Then he stomps on the ground, whereupon it splits in two, and the idols are swallowed by the earth. Andrew next approaches a pillar set up in the midst of the city. He strikes it with his foot, it splits and water gushes out (in the Greek text, this is performed by Christomaios). The apostles use the water to baptize the people. Christomaios asks the apostles to restore life to the people who had perished in the chaos; a voice from heaven grants him the power to do so (in the Greek text, the animals rise also and lick the apostles’ feet). Once restored, those who were dead are baptized and then the apostles perform various healings. The tale finishes with the building of churches and the appointment of a bishop, presbyters, and deacons. The Greek text continues with an epilogue stating that Christomaios was captured by the king of Delkos (modern Terkos but perhaps here a corruption of emperor Decius) and martyred.

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Abiram, Alexander (Andrew’s disciple), Andrew (apostle), Christomaios, Dathan, Decius (emperor), Gallinos, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Jonah, Lydia (of Macedonia), Michael (angel), Peter (apostle), Rufus (Andrew’s disciple), Satan.

Geographical Locations: Bethlehem, City of the Barbarians, City of the Cannibals, Delkos, Elam, El Batas, Gehenna, Gerasa/Gedara, Jericho, Judea, Kattara, Macedonia, Makedan, Mēkōs, Mātyās, Nineveh, Parthia (El Barbar/Bartos).

2. RESOURCES

2.1 Web Sites and Other Online Resources

“Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew.” Wikipedia.

“Cynocephaly.” Wikipedia.

2.2 Iconography

Kokar Kilise and Ayvali Kilise (Cappadocia): two cave churches with frescoes depicting the apostles holding books or plaques describing their missionary areas. Andrew’s sign reads “Cenocephalia,” a reference to the dog-headed cannibals of legend.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic (BHO 55)

3.1.1.1 Arabic Script

Beirut, Bibliothèque Orientale de l’Université Saint Joseph, 625, pp. 236–255 (17th cent.)

Beirut, Bibliothèque Orientale de l’Université Saint Joseph, 1426 (1855) ~ contents not provided

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Graf 472 (18th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 1 (13th/14th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 2 (14th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 3 (1626)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 6 (not dated) ~ no descript.

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 7 (14th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 16 (15th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 59, fols. 189^v–203^r (19th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 60, fols. 101^r–123^r (19th cent.)

Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, Magl. III 29, fols. 40^r–61^r (ante 1664)

Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, Or. 1067 (Tischendorf 32) (15th cent.)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 485, fols. 1^r–28^v (13th cent.)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 539, fols. 72^v–88^r (12th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 75, fols. 31^r–51^r (16th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 81, fols. 4^v–26^r (16th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 4770, fols. 82^v–108^v (19th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Borg. ar. 223 (1729)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 500, fols. 41^v–57^r (15th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 431, fols. 99^v–121^v (1323) ~ catalog and images

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 694, fols. 30^r–38^v (14th cent.)

Wadi El Natrun, Monastery of the Syrians (Dayr al-Suryān), no shelf number, fols. 27^v–41^v(14th cent.)

Vienna, Kaiserlich-königlichen Hofbibliothek, or. 1549 ~ to be confirmed

Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 manuscripts of the Arabic acts collection, pp. 97–101).

Graf, Georg. Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. 5 vols. Studi e testi 118, 133, 146–147, 172. Rome: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944–1953 (survey of Arabic manuscripts comprising Acts Andr. Bart., vol. 1, pp. 260–63).

Lewis, Agnes Smith. Acta mythologica apostolorum. Horae semiticae 3. London: Clay, 1904 (Arabic text from the Dayr al-Suryān manuscript, pp. 11–23).

3.1.1.2 Garšūnī

Aleppo, Syriac-Orthodox Archdiocese, 52 K, fols. 101^v–116^v (17th cent.)

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 40, fols. 53^r–72^v (ca. 1750)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 232, fols. 227^r–236^v(17th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 124, fols. 31^r–50^r (16th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 125 + Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 88, fols. 52^v–58^v (1440)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 391, fols. 146^v–158^r (1604) ~ catalog

3.1.1.3 Copto-Arabic Synaxarion

The Copto-Arabic Synaxarion includes a summary of the episode of the Kynokephalos in the entry on Bartholomew for August 29.

Basset, René. “Le Synaxaire arabe jacobite: Mois de Tout et de Babeh.” Patrologia orientalis 1 (1904): 224–545 (edition and translation of the summary of a portion of Acts Andr. Bart. in the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion, pp. 224–26).

Forget, Jacques. Synaxarium alexandrinum: pars prior. Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 78. Leuven: Secrétariat du Corpus SCO, 1921 (translation of the summary of a portion of Acts Andr. Bart. in the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion).

Forget, Jacques. Synaxarium alexandrinum: tomus I. Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 47–49. Leuven: Secrétariat du Corpus SCO, 1963 (edition of the summary of a portion of Acts Andr. Bart. in the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion,).

3.1.2 Coptic (Sahidic; CPC 0584; BHO 57; see links for editions)

MONB.PY, pp. 69–134 (with gaps) (10th/11th cent.)

MONB.DN, pp. 133–158 (10th–12th cent.)

3.1.3 Ethiopic

3.1.3.1 Ethiopic Text (BHO 56)

London, British Library, Or. 678, fols. 68^v–82^r (15th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 683, fols. 174^v–187^r (17th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 685, fols. 78^r–89^v (18th cent.)

Manchester, John Rylands University Library, Eth. 6, fols. 61^r–76^r (19th cent.)

Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 manuscripts of the Ethiopic acts collection, pp. 93–97).

Budge, E. A. Wallis. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. 2 vols. London: Frowde, 1899–1901 (Ethiopic text based on British Library, Or. 678 and 683, vol. 1, pp. 156–83).

Pisani, Vitagrazia. “The apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: unknown witnesses from East Tәgray.” Pages 75–93 in Essays in Ethiopian Manuscript Studies. Proceedings of the International Conference Manuscripts and Texts, Languages and Contexts: the Transmission of Knowledge in the Horn of Africa. Hamburg, 17–19 July 2014. Edited by Alessandro Bausi, Alessandro Gori, and Denis Nosnitsin. Supplements to Aethiopica 4. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2015 (descriptions of ten Ethiopic manuscripts cataloged for the Ethio-SPaRe project).

3.1.3.2 Ethiopic Synaxarion

The Ethiopian Synaxarion (first recension) includes brief mention for Nov. 30.

Budge, E. A. Wallis. The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Church. 2 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1928 English translation of the Ethiopian Synaxarion, vol. 2, p. 320).

Grébaut, Sylvain. “Le Synaxaire éthiopien IV: le mois de Tâḥschâsch.” Patrologia orientalis 15 (1927): 545–798 (edition and translation of Mart. Andr. in the Ethiopian Synaxarion, pp. 579–82).

3.1.4 Greek (BHG 2056)

Q Brescia, Biblioteca Queriniana, A III 3, fols. 142^r–145^r (16th cent.) ~ DESCRIPTION; Pinakes

S Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Hagiou Saba 373, fols. 117^r–129^r (16th cent.) ~ Pinakes

Lucchesi, Enzo, and J.-M. Prieur. “Fragments coptes des Acts d’André et Matthias et d’André et Barthélemy.” AnBoll 96 (1978): 339–50 (edition of portions of the two Greek manuscripts with French translation, pp. 349–50).

Martelli, Luna. “Acta Andreae et Bartholomaei (BHG 2056, CANT 238): Edizione critica e commento della versione greca.” Ph.D. diss., Università di Bologna, 2015 (edition based on Q and S with facing Italian translation, pp. 78–97).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Budge, E. A. Wallis. The Contendings of the Apostles. 2 vols. London: Frowde, 1899–1901 (translation of the Ethiopic version, vol. 2, pp. 183–214).

Lewis, Agnes Smith. The Mythological Acts of the Apostles. Horae semiticae 4. London: Clay, London, 1904 (translation of the Arabic version from the Dayr al-Suryān manuscript, pp. 11–25).

Malan, Solomon C. The Conflicts of the Holy Apostles: An Apocryphal Book of the Early Eastern Churches. London: Nutt, 1871 (translation of the Ethiopic version based on Rylands Eth. 6, pp. 76–99).

3.2.2 French

Lucchesi, Enzo, and J.-M. Prieur. “Fragments coptes des Acts d’André et Matthias et d’André et Barthélemy.” AnBoll 96 (1978): 339–50 (edition of a portion of the Coptic text from MONB.PY, pp. 347–48; French translation, pp. 348–49).

Lucchesi, Enzo. “Deux nouveaux fragments coptes des Acts d’André et Barthélemy (BHO 57).” AnBoll 98 (1980): 75–82 (edition of portions of MONB.PY with French translation).

3.2.3 Italian

Guidi, Ignazio. “Gli Atti apocrifi degli Apostoli nei testi copti, arabi ed etiopici.” Giornale della Società asiatica italiana 2 (1888): 1–66 (translation of Coptic text from the Vatican fragments of MONB.DN and MONB.PY, pp. 46–55).

3.3 General Works

Ameisenowa, Zofia. “Animal-headed Gods, Evangelists, Saints and Righteous Men.” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 12 (1949): 21–45.

Esbroeck, Michel van. “La légende de Christomaios et la légende de Poti.” Bulletin de l’AELAC 4 (1994): 13 (see also p. 4).

Flamion, Joseph. Les Actes apocryphes de l’apôtre André: Les Actes d’André et de Matthias, de Pierre et d’André et les textes apparentés. Leuven: Bureau du recueil, 1911 (pp. 319–20).

Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 2.2:76–86).

Otero, Aurelio de Santos. “Later Acts of Apostles.” Pages 426–82 in New Testament Apocrypha. Vol. 2: Writings Relating to the Apostles; Apocalypses and Related Subjects. Edited by Wilhem Schneemelcher. Translated by R. McLachlan Wilson. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1992 (see pp. 448–49).

Peterson, Peter M. Andrew, Brother of Simon Peter, his History and his Legends. NovT Sup 1. Leiden: Brill, 1958; repr. 1963 (pp. 37–38).

Prieur, Jean-Marc. Acta Andreae. Vol. 1: Praefatio-Commentarius. CCSA 5. Turnhout: Brepols, 1989 (p. 74, n. 6 and 141–43).

White, David Gordon. Myths of the Dog-Man. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991 (pp. 22–36).

Zwierzina, Konrad. “Die Legenden der Märtyrer von unzerstörbarem Leben.” Pages 130–58 in Innsbrucker Festgruss von der philosophischen Fakultät dargebracht der 50. Versammlung Deutscher Philologen und Schulmänner in Graz. Innsbruck: Wagner, 1909.