Apostle Matthew: Birth, Death, and Associated Places
Birth:
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Date: Approximately between AD 1–10
(Exact date unknown; traditionally placed around this timeframe) -
Place: Likely born in Galilee, specifically around the area of Capernaum, which was the primary location of his activities as a tax collector (Matthew 9:9).
Death:
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Date: Approximately between AD 60–74
(Exact year uncertain; tradition varies significantly) -
Place: Most traditions hold that Matthew died in either Ethiopia or Parthia (modern-day Iran), though the Ethiopian tradition is more widely recognized.
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Circumstances: Tradition holds he died a martyr's death, often cited as by stabbing or beheading, though sources vary.
Historical and Traditional Notes:
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Matthew was also known as Levi (Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27).
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He was originally a tax collector for the Romans in Capernaum, indicating a status of relative wealth but social ostracization among Jews.
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After being called by Christ, he authored the Gospel of Matthew, traditionally around AD 50–60, targeting primarily a Jewish audience.
Sources and Reliability:
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Historical details about Matthew's birth and death are primarily derived from church traditions rather than explicit historical documents.
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Early Church Fathers such as Eusebius, Papias, and Jerome provide much of the information regarding his life and mission work.
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The exact circumstances and locations related to his death vary significantly across sources, making precise historical confirmation difficult.
Conclusion:
Matthew's birth and death details rely heavily on tradition and early Church histories, lacking firm historical documentation. Most scholarship and tradition places him born in Galilee (Capernaum) in the early first century and his martyrdom occurring either in Ethiopia or Parthia between AD 60 and AD 74.