Where did St Matthew preach after Jesus died?

A:It is almost universally assumed that Matthew wrote one of the New Testament gospels in the Hebrew language. However, all the gospels were originally anonymous, and this one was only attributed to Matthew later in the second century. It was clearly written in Greek, substantially based on Mark's Gospel and the hypothetical 'Q' document, and New Testament scholars say that it could not have been written by an eyewitness to the events portrayed. It is almost beyond doubt that Matthew did not write the Gospel that now bears his name.

Of Matthew's subsequent career we have only inaccurate or

legendarydata.

Irenæustells us that Matthew preached the

Gospelamong the

Hebrews,

Clement of Alexandriaclaiming that he did this for fifteen years, and

Eusebiusmaintains that, before going into other countries, he gave them his

Gospelin the

mother tongue. Some ancient Christian writers mention him preaching in Ethiopia to the south of the Caspian Sea (not

Ethiopiain

Africa), while others say

Persiaand the kingdom of the Parthians,

Macedonia, and

Syria. These accounts are more likely to be the result of hagiology than history.

According to Heracleon, who is quoted byClement of Alexandria, Matthew did not die amartyr. Those sources that claim he was martyred disagree on the place ofSt. Matthew'smartyrdomand the kind of torture he suffered, in factwhether he was burned,stoned, beheaded or simply died of old age.