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Matthew the Oracles

The Hebrew Logia
One of the most intriguing lost texts of early Christianity. While we don't have an existing manuscript, historical references reveal a fascinating glimpse into the origins of the Gospel of Matthew.

Early Testimonies

c. 100-130 AD
Papias of Hierapolis
"Matthew collected the oracles [λόγια, logia] in the Hebrew language, and each interpreted them as he was able."

This suggests an original Hebrew or Aramaic text that circulated among early Jewish believers.

c. 180 AD
Irenaeus

He confirmed that Matthew wrote a Gospel for the Jewish believers in "their own language."

c. 200 AD
Origen

He noted that Matthew wrote "first" in Hebrew.

c. 300 AD
Eusebius

He cited earlier sources stating that Matthew's Gospel was originally in Hebrew and later translated.

c. 400 AD
Jerome

He claimed to have seen and even translated a Hebrew Matthew, which was kept by the Nazarenes in the region of Beroea (modern Aleppo, Syria).

What Happened to It?

The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew likely disappeared due to:

  • The increasing dominance of Greek Christianity, which sidelined Hebrew texts.
  • The suppression of Jewish-Christian groups like the Nazarenes and Ebionites, who reportedly used a Hebrew Gospel.
  • The destruction of Jewish-Christian communities after the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–136 AD).

Possible Traces

There are a few places where remnants of a Hebrew Matthew might survive:

  • The Shem-Tov Hebrew Matthew (14th century) – Found in a Jewish anti-Christian polemic, this text has some unusual Hebrew wordplay, suggesting it may preserve echoes of an earlier Hebrew tradition.
  • The Gospel of the Nazarenes (Lost, but quoted by early church fathers) – This may have been a Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel closely related to Matthew.

Can We Reconstruct It?

While no full manuscript exists, scholars try to reconstruct the Hebrew "Logia" of Matthew by:

  • Identifying Semitic idioms in the Greek Matthew that suggest a Hebrew or Aramaic original.
  • Comparing with Targums (Aramaic paraphrases of the Hebrew Bible) to see how Matthew might have originally been written.

How It Relates to Early Jesus Believers (33–140 AD)

  • The Nazarene believers likely kept this Hebrew Gospel and rejected later Greek alterations.
  • It may have included more Torah-observant teachings of Yeshua that were later downplayed in Greek versions.
  • Some scholars think the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) preserves traces of a Hebrew source.