Benjamin Hartman Review Staff Reporter of Jerusalem Christian Review JERUSALEM, Israel - Was the Book of Matthew really written by the disciple Matthew in the first century A.D.? Or does it date to a much later time? This very question is now being debated by scholars who are stunned by the discovery of a fragment which may very well be the oldest text of the Gospel of Matthew ever found.

Fragments of the first century papyrus inscribed with parts of the Gospel of Matthew. Scholars believe this is the oldest copy of Matthew's Gospel ever found.

"For centuries," says Jerusalem archaeologist, A. Cohen, "scholars have believed that the New Testament, its Gospels and Epistles, were not written by the Apostles in the first century. Rather, they were passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation for a hundred years to be finally penned by scribes some time in the second century AD." "But now," says Jerusalem historian, Prof. Ory Mazar, "new research on an ancient fragment of New Testament text may well shatter the conventional wisdom." This papyrus text seems to provide genuine proof that at least the Gospel of Matthew was indeed an eyewitness account, written by a disciple of Jesus who lived during the days Christ Himself was on earth. FULL STORY

Back to Previous Page | Back to Home Page

Revised: 2000/12/12