The New International Encyclopædia/Nathanael

NATHAN′AEL (Heb. Nĕthan’ēl, God gives). A man of Cana in Galilee, brought to Jesus by Philip, and declared by Jesus to be a true Israelite and a sincere, open-minded man. He proved this sincerity by coming to meet Jesus, although the fact that Jesus was described as ‘of Nazareth’ was naturally repugnant to him. He accepted the claims of Jesus as Messiah when those claims were brought clearly before him (John i. 45-51). From this time on nothing more is said of Nathanael in the Gospels, except the mention of him as one of seven to whom Jesus manifested himself after the Resurrection (John xxi. 2). He is not named among the Twelve Apostles. This fact has led many to attempt to identify Nathanael with Bartholomew (q.v.).