Matthew
St. Matthew, the author of the first gospel, was a tax collector at Capernaum before Jesus called him. Matthew is also called Levi; some think that this is a tribal designation, rather than a given name. Probably born in Galilee, Matthew was the son of Alphæus but was not the brother of James. Matthew is said to have preached to the Jews after the Pentecost and to have written his gospel in the second half of the I Century for a Jewish audience. The book emphasizes the messianic nature of Christ's ministry and was written in a readable style. Scholars now reject the theory that Matthew wrote his book in Hebrew first. Some doubt that the apostle Matthew is the author Matthew. He is said to have preached in Judea, Ethiopia, and Persia before his death. Some say he was martyred, and others say he died a natural death.
His relics are said to have been brought from Ethiopia to Finistère, Brittany, and Robert Guiscard translated them to Salerno in 1080.
Karen Rae Keck
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