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Hebrew Gospel hypothesis

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The Hebrew Gospel hypothesis is a hypothesis developed by James R. Edwards and earlier authors concerning the relation of the 4th Century Jewish-Christian Gospels mentioned and partially preserved in the writings of Jerome and some other Church Fathers to a possible lost Hebrew Ur-Matthew.

Proponents of the Hebrew Gospel hypothesis

Edward Nicholson (1879)

Bodley's Librarian and a noted Celticist, Edward Nicholson proposed that Matthew wrote two Gospels, the first in Greek, the second in Hebrew.

James R. Edwards (2009)

In The Hebrew Gospel and the development of the synoptic tradition (2009) Edwards writes "This book is dedicated to exploring the various ramifications of this hypothesis. Indeed, I hope to offer sufficient evidence to transform a hypothesis into a viable theory of the development of the Synoptic tradition."

Use of Patristic sources in the hypothesis

Various patristic sources form part of the basis of the hypothesis.

Papias

A prominent form of this hypothesis is that the logia of Papias formed an entire Hebrew Gospel, originating from Matthew the Evangelist c64-67AD and being translated into Greek by an unknown writer c.90AD.

Jerome

While Jerome was beginning his studies at Chalcis he had sent to him a copy of a Nazarene edition of Matthew in Hebrew.

Criticism of the hypothesis

Lenski (2008) writes that "whatever Matthew wrote in Hebrew was so ephemeral that it disappeared completely at a date so early that even the earliest fathers never obtained sight of the writing"

References

  1. Edwards The Hebrew Gospel and the development of the synoptic tradition 2009 p.xxviii
  2. Lenski Richard C. H. The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel 1-14 2008 p11
  3. Pritz Nazarene Christianity
  4. Lenski Richard C. H. The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel 1-14 2008 p12 "The Hypothesis of a Hebrew Matthew Breaks Down"
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