Matthew meaning “gift of God” or “faithful”, whose surname was Levi, before his conversion was a civil servant, or tax-collector under the Romans at Capernaum. He is generally thought to have written his Gospel before any other of the evangelists. Though some scholars say it was the book of Mark, also dispute Matthew as the author and say it was a Christian male Jew whose main source among others was the book of Mark. It is believed to have been written between Ad 80 and 90. The author of Matthew wrote for a community of Greek speaking Jewish Christians in Antioch in Syria. The contents of this Gospel, and the evidence of ancient writers, show that it was written primarily for the use of the Jewish nation. The fulfilment of prophecy was regarded by the Jews as strong evidence; therefore this is especially dwelt upon by Matthew.
