What was the occupation of Matthew?

Matthew was a "Tax Collector" See Below for more:

(Mat′thew) [probably a shortened form of the Heb.

Mattithiah, meaning "Gift of Jehovah"].

A Jew, otherwise known as Levi, who became an apostle

of Jesus Christ and the writer of the Gospel bearing his name. He

was the son of a certain Alphaeus and was a tax collector before

becoming one of Jesus' disciples. (Mt 10:3; Mr 2:14; see TAX

COLLECTOR.) The Scriptures do not reveal whether Levi also had the

name Matthew before becoming a disciple of Jesus, received it at

that time, or was given that name by Jesus when he was appointed as

an apostle.

It appears that early in his Galilean ministry (30 or

early 31 C.E.) Jesus Christ called Matthew from the tax office in

or near Capernaum. (Mt 9:1, 9; Mr 2:1, 13, 14) 'Leaving everything

behind, Matthew rose up and went following Jesus.' (Lu 5:27, 28)

Perhaps to celebrate the receiving of his call to follow Christ,

Matthew "spread a big reception feast," attended by Jesus and his

disciples as well as many tax collectors and sinners. This

disturbed the Pharisees and the scribes, causing them to murmur

about Christ's eating and drinking with tax collectors and

sinners.-Lu 5:29, 30; Mt 9:10, 11; Mr 2:15, 16.

Later, after the Passover of 31 C.E., Jesus selected

the 12 apostles, and Matthew was one of them. (Mr 3:13-19; Lu

6:12-16) Though The Bible makes various references to the apostles

as a group, it does not mention Matthew by name again until after

Christ's ascension to heaven. Matthew saw the resurrected Jesus

Christ (1Co 15:3-6), received parting instructions from him, and

saw him ascend to heaven. After this he and the other apostles

returned to Jerusalem. The apostles were staying in an upper

chamber there, and Matthew is specifically named as being among

them, so he must have been one of the some 120 disciples who

received the holy spirit on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E.-Ac 1:4-15;

2:1-4.