Matthew the Apostle

Matthew the Apostle, identified in the synoptic gospels as the tax collector Levi called by Jesus at Capernaum, became one of the Twelve and is traditionally regarded as the author of the first Gospel. Patristic sources from Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, and Eusebius consistently record that he ministered first among the Hebrew-speaking communities of Judea for roughly twelve years after the resurrection before departing to evangelize distant peoples. His later missionary itinerary is debated among ancient writers, but nearly all patristic sources connect his final mission with a region called "Ethiopia," and the overwhelming tradition holds that he died a martyr there, though the precise location and date remain unknown.