or Gospel of St Matthew, a canonical book of the New Testament. St Matthew wrote his gospel in Judea, at the request of those whom he had converted; and it is thought he began in the year forty-one, eight years after Christ's resurrection. It was written, according to the testimony of all the ancients, in the Hebrew or Syriac language; but the Greek version, which now passes for the original, is as old as the apostolical times.

St Matthew the Evangelist's Day, a festival of the Christian church, observed on the 21st of September.

St Matthew, the son of Alpheus, was also called Levi. He was of Jewish origin, as both his names discover, and probably a Galilean. Before his call to the apostleship, he was a publican or toll-gatherer to the Romans, an office of bad repute amongst the Jews, on account of the covetousness and exactation of those who managed it. St Matthew's office particularly consisted in collecting the customs of all merchandise that came by the Sea of Galilee, and the tribute payable by passengers who went by water; and here it was that he sat at the receipt of custom when our Saviour called him to be a disciple. It is probable that, living at Capernaum, Christ's usual place of residence, he might have some knowledge of him before he was called. St Matthew immediately expressed his satisfaction in being called to this high dignity, by entertaining our Saviour and his disciples at a great dinner at his house, whither he invited all his friends, especially those of his own profession, hoping probably that they might be influenced by the company and conversation of Christ. St Matthew continued with the rest of the apostles till after our Lord's ascension. For the first eight years afterwards he preached in Judea. Then he betook himself to propagating the gospel amongst the Gentiles, and chose Ethiopia as the scene of his apostolical ministry, where, it is said, he suffered martyrdom, but by what kind of death is altogether uncertain. It is pretended, but without any foundation, that Hyrtacus, king of Ethiopia, desiring to marry Iphigenia, the daughter of his brother and predecessor Agrippas, and the apostle having represented to him that he could not lawfully do it, the enraged prince ordered his head to be immediately cut off. Baronius tells us, the body of St Matthew was transported from Ethiopia to Bithynia, and was thence carried to Salernum in the kingdom of Naples, where it was found in 1080, and where Duke Robert built a church bearing his name.

Matthew of Paris. See Paris.