Resumen
Resumen de Apocalypse of Bartholomew
Para quién es
For readers who love early Christian literature, accounts of the underworld and the devil, and stories told around the apostles.
De qué trata este libro
The Apocalypse of Bartholomew, more often called the Questions of Bartholomew by scholars, is an early Christian text that imagines conversations between the risen Jesus and his apostles. The apostle Bartholomew plays the leading part. He is the one who dares to ask the hard questions about hell, about the Virgin Mary, about the devil and about the fate of the dead. The author is unknown, and the work is attributed to Bartholomew only in the sense that he is its chief speaker.
The text survives in several forms and languages. There are Greek manuscripts, a Latin version, a Church Slavonic version and some Coptic fragments, and they do not agree in every detail. Scholars usually place the original Greek work somewhere between the third and the fifth century, though they debate the exact date. In this summary you will meet the main scenes in the text: the descent into the underworld, the questioning of Mary, the unveiling of Satan and the teaching on sin. Let us begin with where the text comes from and how it has come down to us.
En este resumen
- 1A text that survives in many versionsFree
- 2Bartholomew asks to hear of Hades
- 3Mary and the mystery of the incarnation
- 4Satan is brought out and tells his fall
- 5Teaching on sin and the ways of the devil
- 6How it was used and why it stands outside the Bible
Idea clave 1 de 6
A text that survives in many versions
The Questions of Bartholomew belongs to a large group of writings that grew up around the apostles in the centuries after the New Testament. Many of these works claim to record secret teaching given by Jesus after his resurrection. They answer questions that the short Gospel accounts leave open. What happened between the cross and the empty tomb? What did Mary know? Where did evil come from?
The work has come down to us in pieces and in translation. The Greek text is the fullest early witness, but the Latin and Slavonic versions contain material that the Greek lacks or tells differently. A few Coptic fragments, found in Egypt, show that the work was also read there. Because of this, there is no single agreed text. Editors have to compare the versions and decide which scenes belong to the oldest layer.
The date of the Greek original is uncertain. Many scholars place it in the third century, and some allow a later time. Its author is unknown, and nothing reliable is known about where he wrote. The text should also be kept apart from other works connected with Bartholomew, such as a Coptic book about the resurrection that carries his name but is a different composition.
The frame is simple. After the resurrection the apostles gather, and Bartholomew steps forward as spokesman. The work is therefore a dialogue, built from questions and answers, rather than a story with a single plot. That shape makes it easy to follow, because questions lead to teachings and visions.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Apocalypse of Bartholomew
What is the Apocalypse of Bartholomew about?
It is an early Christian dialogue in which the apostle Bartholomew questions the risen Jesus. Its scenes cover the descent into Hades, Mary and the mystery of the birth of Christ, the devil's fall and the punishment of sin.
Is the Apocalypse of Bartholomew the same as the Questions of Bartholomew?
The names are often used for the same early Christian work, which survives in Greek, Latin and Slavonic forms. It should be kept apart from the Coptic Book of the Resurrection attributed to Bartholomew, which is a different text.
When was the Questions of Bartholomew written and who wrote it?
The author is unknown. Many scholars place the Greek original in the third century, though some suggest a later date. It was not written by Bartholomew himself and is a pseudonymous work of early Christian tradition.
Why is the Apocalypse of Bartholomew not in the Bible?
The New Testament canon was formed by the churches over several centuries, using tests such as apostolic origin and wide use. This text appeared later under an apostle's name and was not accepted into that collection.
What does the text say about Satan?
It shows Satan bound in chains and telling how he fell. He says he refused to worship Adam when God made him, and was cast down for his pride. The scene presents evil as created and judged.