For centuries the Jewish community in Europe possessed a copy of Matthew in the Hebrew language. The Jews' use of this document during the Middle Ages is imperfectly known. Occasionally excerpts from it appeared in polemical writings against Christianity.

Standford Rives seeks to provide the best approximation of the original Gospel of Matthew based upon Hebrew sources. There is no disputing Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew. In about 400 AD, Jerome translated it from a copy at the Library of Caesarea. It was quoted dozens of times by the earliest church commentators. Jerome explained that our Greek version of Matthew came from this Hebrew version. Jerome noted a score of variants that were interesting. The Shem-Tob version of Matthew is the best candidate to reflect the original Hebrew Matthew. Standford Rives, a Christian attorney, tries to meticulously assemble what likely was the original Matthew from all these sources. It is hoped that this will be edifying to the faithful. The first of three volumes collects all viable earliest variants for Matthew overlaid on the framework of the American Standard Version of Matthew from 1901. These variants are color coded for easy identification. The variants are footnoted so the reader can read its source and weigh its strength and viability. The second volume will collect important scholarly material on the validity of the early variants and the significance of the changes to the traditional text. Topics covered in volume two include whether the virgin birth was originally present, whether Yahweh's name was originally used, and on the aid to apologetics which the original Matthew variants provides. The third volume is intended for devotional reading. It attempts to represent the best estimate of what the entire original Gospel of Matthew contained. There is no commentary. It is simply a smooth flowing text with the best variants reflected in the text using color coding to signify the source of each variant. The same color codes are used in volume three as used in volume one. They will tell the reader the general source of the variant, but to know the precise citation for the variant, one must refer back to Volume I. The first and third volumes are separated to keep customer purchase costs down. This allows the readers to choose whether to purchase just volume one or also volume three to know the contents of the Original Gospel of Matthew.

"Matthew, who had at first preached to the Hebrews, when he was about to go to other peoples, committed his Gospel to writing in his native tongue, and thus compensated those whom he was obliged to leave for the loss of his presence." - Eusebius Church History Book III, 24:6 "Matthew, also called Levi, apostle and aforetimes publican, composed a gospel of Christ at first published in Judea in Hebrew for the sake of those of the circumcision who believed, but this was afterwards translated into Greek, though by what author is uncertain." Jerome,Illustrious Men Chapter 3. The primary source for Matthew should be a Hebrew text rather than the typical Greek text. If you don’t find the Hebrew primary source compelling, that’s fine. Read it from the Greek. Both teach the same Christ. If you like the idea of the Hebrew text and want to see how a traditional translation would have been different, you can compare the footnotes in your favorite translation to this translation to get a sense of whether or not your favorite translators would have dealt with the text differently given this Hebrew source instead of the Greek.

"Matthew, who had at first preached to the Hebrews, when he was about to go to other peoples, committed his Gospel to writing in his native tongue, and thus compensated those whom he was obliged to leave for the loss of his presence." - Eusebius Church History Book III, 24:6 "Matthew, also called Levi, apostle and aforetimes publican, composed a gospel of Christ at first published in Judea in Hebrew for the sake of those of the circumcision who believed, but this was afterwards translated into Greek, though by what author is uncertain." Jerome, Illustrious Men Chapter 3. The primary source for Matthew should be a Hebrew text rather than the typical Greek text. If you don't find the Hebrew primary source compelling, that's fine. Read it from the Greek. Both teach the same Christ. If you like the idea of the Hebrew text and want to see how a traditional translation would have been different, you can compare the footnotes in your favorite translation to this translation to get a sense of whether or not your favorite translators would have dealt with the text differently given this Hebrew source instead of the Greek. For more of Shaun C. Kennedy's thoughts, visit http: //shaunckennedy.wordpress.com

This book offers a new explanation of the development of the first three Gospels based on a careful examination of both patristic testimony to the "Hebrew Gospel" and internal evidence in the canonical Gospels themselves. James Edward breaks new ground and challenges assumptions that have long been held in the New Testament guild but actually lack solid evidence.