St., a festival of the Christian church, celebrated on the 24th of August. St Bartholomew was generally considered identical with Nathaniel, one of the first disciples who came to Christ. It is thought this apostle travelled as far as India, to propagate the gospel; for Eusebius relates, that a famous philosopher and Christian, named Pantænus, desiring to imitate the apostolic zeal in propagating the faith, and travelling for that purpose as far as India, found there, amongst those who still retained the knowledge of Christ, the gospel of St Matthew, written, as the tradition asserts, by St Bartholomew when he preached the gospel in that country. From India he returned by the northern and western parts of Asia, and preached to the people of Hierapolis, then in Lyconia, and lastly at Albania, a city upon the Caspian Sea, where his endeavours to reclaim the people from idolatry were crowned with martyrdom. According to the received tradition, St Bartholomew was flayed alive, and crucified with his head downwards.