Questions of Bartholomew

Quaestiones Bartholomae

Standard abbreviation: Quest. Bart.

Other titles: Gospel of Bartholomew

Clavis numbers: ECCA 142; CANT 63

Category: Revelation Dialogue

Compiled by: Chance Bonar, Tufts University ([email protected])

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Bonar, Chance. “Questions of Bartholomew.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/questions-of-bartholomew/.

Created January 2019. Current as of August 2023.

1. SUMMARY

Quest. Bart. is a post-resurrection dialogue (or, in the Church Slavonic version, a pre-resurrection dialogue) that sits at the intersection of apocalyptic and erotapokriseis literary genres. It consists of four primary scenes: (1) questions and answers regarding the crucifixion, Christ’s victory over Beliar, the Harrowing of Hell, and the number of souls in heaven; (2) questions and answers regarding the conception of Christ; (3) a vision of the abyss, and; (4) Satan’s appearance, including further questions and answers regarding his origins and his hatred of humanity. The narrative opens with Bartholomew boldly questioning Jesus about the mysteries of heaven, to which Jesus responds that he can only reveal such things after putting off “the body of the flesh”––perhaps leading to the confusion regarding whether this dialogue took place before or after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus goes on to explain that he vanished from the cross in order to go to Hades and bring up Adam, and that angels escorted Adam visibly upon the earth. This declaration leads Bartholomew to ask about the identities of the angels. Bartholomew asks further about the number of souls in paradise, to which Jesus responds that only fifty-three righteous souls go to paradise each day. After Jesus vanishes, Bartholomew, Peter, Andrew, and John speak to the Virgin Mary about her relationship with her son. After much protest, Mary recounts her meeting with an angel in the temple and the Annunciation. The telling of this story causes fire to burst from Mary’s mouth, almost ending the world. Jesus reappears, takes his disciples upon a mountain, and gives them seven days to ask questions. Ultimately, Jesus takes his disciples back to the Mount of Olives. Bartholomew is brought to Tartarus to see Beliar, but Beliar’s appearance kills the apostles and forces Jesus to resurrect them. Jesus orders Bartholomew to question Beliar about his past. The narrative ends with Bartholomew asking if he can entrust what he has seen to others, and closes with further questions regarding sin and marriage.

Named historical figures and characters: Adam (patriarch), Andrew (apostle), Bartholomew (apostle), Beliar, Chairum (angel), Chalkatura (angel), Charuth (angel), devil, Duth (angel), Elisha (prophet), Enoch (patriarch), Eve (matriarch), Gabriel (angel), Graphathas (angel), Hades, Hoethra (angel), Holy Spirit, Isaac (patriarch), Jacob (patriarch), Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), Kerkutha (angel), Mary (Virgin), Melioth (angel), Mermeoth (angel), Michael (angel), Naoutha (angel), Nathanael (angel), Nephonos (angel), Oertha (angel), Onomatath (angel), Peter (apostle), Raphael (angel), Salpsan (son of the devil), Satan, Solomon (king), Uriel (angel).

Geographical locations: Aparktias, Boreas, Cherubim, Chritir, Euphrates River, Geon River, Hades, hell, Jerusalem, Mount Mauria/Mambre, Mount of Olives, paradise, Phison River, temple (Jerusalem), Tigris River.

2. RESOURCES

“Questions of Bartholomew.” Wikipedia.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Greek (BHG 228)

G Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, hist. gr. 67, fols. 9^r–15^v, 2^r–4^r (14th cent.)

H Jerusalem, Patriarchê bibliothêkê, Hagiou Saba 13, fols. 114^v–116^v (copied into the margins by a 13th cent. scribe) ~ chaps 1:1–4:32 only

M Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. XI,24 (coll. 1293), fols. 197^r–215^r (15th cent.) ~ unpublished

Bonwetsch, Nathanael. “Die Apokryphen Fragen des Bartholomäus.” Pages 1–42 in Nachrichten von der Königl. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen. Göttingen: Commissionsverlag der Dieterich’schen Universitätsbuchhandlung, 1897 (editions of G and Church Slavonic PV).

Vassiliev, Athanasius, ed. Anecdota graeco-byzantina, pars prior. Moscow: Imperial University, 1893 (edition of G, pp. 10–22).

Wilmart, André and Eugène Tisserant. “Fragments grecs et latins de l’Évangile de Barthélemy.” RB 10 (1913): 161–90, 321–68 (editions of H and Latin R).

3.1.2 Latin

C Rome, Biblioteca Casanatense, 1880, fols. 161^v–169^r (11th cent.) ~ chaps. 1:1–5:11

R Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Reg. Lat. 1050, fol. 4 (9th/10th cent.) ~ fragments of chaps. 1 and 4

Moricca, Umberto. “Un nuovo testo dell ‘Evangelo di Bartholemo.’” RB NS 18 (=30) (1921): 481–516 and NS 19 (=31) (1922): 20–30 (edition of C).

Wilmart, André and Eugène Tisserant. “Fragments grecs et latins de l’Évangile de Barthélemy.” RB 10 (1913): 161–90, 321–68 (editions of Latin R and Greek H, pp. 176–80).

3.1.3 Church Slavic

B Moscow, State Historical Museum, Barsov 2730, fol. 77^v (17th/18th cent.) ~ chap. 1

D Belgrade, Serbian National Library, Dečani Monastery 103, fols. 199^r–201^v (14th cent.) ~ 1:1–2:13

P St. Petersburg, Russian National Library, Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery 4-1081, fol. 136^v–147^v (15th cent.) ~ 1:1–4:13

T Tver, State Archive of Tulia Oblast, F. 1409. Op. 3. D. 25, fols. 91^v–97^v (18th cent.) ~ chap. 1

U Moscow, State Historical Museum, Uvarov 884, fols. 287^r–289^r (1602) ~ excerpts of chaps. 1, 3 and 4

V Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, slav. 125, fols. 259^r–264^v, 276^r–280^r (16th cent.) ~ chaps. 1:1–4:1

Chromá, Martina. “The Apocryphal Gospel of Bartholomew in the Slavonic Tradition.” PhD diss. Universita Karlova v Praze, 2016 (with edition based on all available manuscripts, pp. 117–61).

__________. The Apocryphal Gospel of Bartholomew in the Slavonic Tradition. Translated by Simona Sobolevská. Břežany: Scriptorium, 2019 (publication of PhD diss.).

Santos Otero, Aurelio de. Die handscriftliche Überlieferung der altslavischen Apokryphen. 2 vols. PTS 20 and 23. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1977–1978 (discussion of the Slavonic tradition, vol. 2, pp. 56–59).

Pypin, A. N. Ložnyia I otrečennyja knigi russkoj stariny, hg. v. Graf Gr. Kušelev-Bezborodko. Vyp. 3. Saint Petersburg, 1862 (edition of P, pp. 109–12).

Močul’skij, Vasilij N. Sledy narodnoj biblii v slavjanskoj i drevnerusskoj pis ‘mennosti. Odessa, 1893 (edition of V, pp. 276–81).

Tichonravov, Nikolai S. Pamjatniki otrečennoj russkoj literatury. 2 vols. Moscow: Obščestv. Pol’za, 1863 (edition of P, vol. 1, pp. 18–22).

Miltenova, Anissava. “За един неизвестен препис от апокрифните въпроси и отговори на апостол Вартоломей.” Pages 464–77 in Пяние мало Георгию: сборник в чест на 65-годишнината на проф. дфн Георги Попов. София 2010 (edition of D).

3.3 Modern Translations

3.3.1 English

Elliott, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation. Oxford: Oxford University, 1993 (pp. 652–72).

James, M. R. The Apocryphal New Testament. 1924. Repr., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1953 (pp. 166–86).

Scheidweiler, Felix. “The Questions of Bartholomew.” Pages 484–508 in New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. 1, Gospels and Related Writings. Edited by Edgar Hennecke and Wilhelm Schneemelcher. Translated by R. McL. Wilson. 3rd ed. London: Luttersworth Press, 1963.

__________. “The Questions of Bartholomew.” Pages 537–57 in New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. 1, Gospels and Related Writings. Edited by Wilhelm Schneemelcher. Translated by R. McL. Wilson. Rev. ed. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox, 1991.

3.3.2 French

Kaestli, Jean-Daniel. “Questions de Barthélemy.” Pages 257–95 in Écrits apocryphes chrétiens. Vol. 1. Edited by François Bovon and Pierre Geoltrain. Paris: Gallimard, 1997.

Kaestli, Jean-Daniel and Pierre Cherix. L’évangile de Barthélemy: d’après deux écrits apocryphes. Apocryphes 3. Turnhout: Brepols, 1993.

3.3.3 German

Markschies, Christoph. “Die Fragen des Bartholomaeus.” Pages 702–850 in vol. 1.2 of Antike christliche Apokryphen in deutscher Übersetzung. Edited by Christoph Markschies and Jens Schröter. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012 (synoptic translation of G, H, R, C, P, and V).

Scheidweiler, Felix. “Die Fragen des Bartholomaeus.” Pages 359–76 in Neutestamentliche Apokryphen in deutscher Übersetzung, Bd. 1. Evangelien und Verwandtes. Edited by Edgar Hennecke and Wilhelm Schneemelcher. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1959.

__________. “Die Fragen des Bartholomaeus.” Pages 424–40 in Neutestamentliche Apokryphen in deutscher Übersetzung, Bd. 1. Evangelien und Verwandtes. Edited by Wilhelm Schneemelcher. 6th ed. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1990.

3.3.4 Italian

Erbetta, Mario. Gli apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. Italy: Marietti, 1975–1981 (vol. 1.2, pp. 288–300).

Moraldi, Luigi. Apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 2 vols. Classici delle religioni, Sezione quarta, La religione cattolica 24. Turin: Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1971 (vol. 1, pp. 749–800).

3.3.5 Spanish

Otero, Aurelio de Santos. Los Evangelios apocrifos: colección de textos griegos y latinos, version crítica, estudios introductorios y comentarios. Biblioteca de autores cristianos 148. Madrid: Biblioteca de autores cristianos, 1993 (pp. 536–72).

3.4 General Works

Beeston, Alfred F. L. “The Quaestiones Bartholomae.” JTS 25 (1974): 124–27.

Brinkmann, August. “Die apokryphen Fragen des Bartholomaeus.” Rheinisches Museum für Philologie 54.1 (1899): 93–110.

Chromá, Martina. “Slavonic Translation of the Apocryphal Questions of Bartholomew.” Scrinium 14 (2018): 197–205.

Gounelle, Rémi. “L’ultimate combat de Dieu: le face à face infernal du Christ et du diable.” Foi et vie 110.2 (2011): 36–47.

Haase, Felix. “Zur Rekonstruction des Bartholomäusevangeliums.” ZNW 16 (1915): 83–112.

Kaestli, Jean‐Daniel. “Où en est l’étude de ‘l’Évangile de Barthélemy’?” RB 95 (1988): 5–33.

Kateusz, Ally. “Collyridian déjà vu: The Trajectory of Redaction of the Markers of Mary’s Liturgical Leadership.” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 29.2 (2013): 75–92.

Klauck, Hans-Josef. Apocryphal Gospels: An Introduction. Translated by Brian McNeil. London: T. & T. Clark, 2003 (pp. 99–102). ET of Apokryphe Evangelien: Eine Einführung. Stuttgart, 2002.

Pelle, Stephen. “A Quotation from the Questions of Bartholomew in an Early Medieval Latin Sermon.” Apocrypha 25 (2014): 133–49.

Petkov, Julian. Altslavische Eschatologie: Texte und Studien zue apokalyptischen Literatur in kirchenslavischer Überlieferung. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto, 2016 (pp. 149–54).