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Martyrdom of Apostle Matthew

Matthew whose occupation was that of a toll-gatherer was born at Nazareth. He wrote his gospel in Hebrew, which was afterwards translated into Greek by James the Less.

New World Encyclopedia states as follows concerning the martyrdom of Mathew:

"An account of Matthew's death in the Acta apostolorum apocrypha is considered legendary and probably originated in the third century. The Acts of Matthew begins with a vision given to Matthew of the child Jesus. Matthew asks Jesus concerning the whereabouts of King Herod I, and is informed that this evil king now dwells in Hades/Gehenna in eternal flames. At Jesus' command, Matthew goes to "Myrna," called "the city of the man-eaters," where he is to visit the church founded by Saint Andrew. After exorcising the king's wife and the son of a powerful demon, he meets Bishop Plato and performs various miracles, converting many of the heathen. Matthew's rod grows into a great fruit-bearing tree which feeds the multitudes of Myrna. The king, however, is outraged that his wife has become Matthew's disciple and resolves to have him burned to death. The fire intended to consume Matthew is miraculously turned against his persecutors and their gods. The king still does not relent, but after several more miracles, he destroys all of his idols and issues a decree that henceforth "there should not be many gods, but one, and one only, the God in the heavens." After Bishop Plato's death, the king, whose name is also Matthew, takes his place.

A version of this story which appears in The Golden Legend preserves the less happy ending that the king, after his wife had determined to live the rest of her life in celibate chastity, dispatched a swordsman to slay Matthew. The executioner "came behind Matthew as he stood at the altar with his hands raised to Heaven in prayer, drove his sword into his back, and so consummated the apostle's martyrdom."