Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Ian,

You write:

>I find this discussion generally way down the road to vain conjecture.
>
>"Matthew" for us is a text. It evinces a number of layers which includes the
>use of both Hebrew and LXX variants of the OT/HB and probably a dependence
>on some form of the gospel of Mark.
>
>It is all too easy to drop off into fantasies about the name attached to the
>text, going as far as to relate it to the fellow who was a tax collector
>called by Jesus.
>
>I can't for the life of me see how the trick used on this list about
>considering ancient "interpretations" of a text which allows discussion
>about Matthean understandings of, reinterpretations of and flow of
>consciousness on certain OT/HB citations, the trick which has got the some
>on the list as far as musing about the racial identity of this "Matthew",
>has anything substantially to do with what the list is here for.

Ian, if you want to disregard the strong and united, if I remember
correctly, testimony of the ancient Church that the apostle Matthew wrote
the Gospel of Matthew, then you are free to do so. Thanks for clarifying
the thinking of those who might consider the Gospel's author to be a
Gentile.

                                Yours,
                                Harold Holmyard