Passio Matthaei
Standard abbreviation: Pass. Matt.
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 937; CANT 270
VIAF: 169144782965737622369 (Apostolic Histories)
Category: Apocryphal Acts
Related literature: Passion of Simon and Jude, Golden Legend 140.
Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University ([email protected])
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Passion of Matthew.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/passion-of-matthew/.
Created August 2023.
1. SUMMARY
The city of Naddaver in Ethiopia is plagued by two magicians, Zoroes and Arfazar. They use their abilities to freeze people in their steps and render them deaf and blind; they also command snakes to strike people and deal in healing incantations. God sends Matthew to the city to counter all of their spells. An Ethiopian named Candace, who had been baptized by Philip (as in Acts 8:26–40, though in Acts the eunuch is an unnamed official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians), welcomes Matthew into his home. The friends of Candace come to the apostle to listen to his teachings and be healed. Candace asks Matthew how it is that he can speak Greek, Egyptian, and Ethiopian so well. He replies with the story of the Tower of Babel, when humanity was cursed with multiple languages, and then how the Holy Spirit worked to remedy this confusion at Pentecost by giving the apostles the ability to speak all languages perfectly.
The magicians come to the house accompanied by two monstrous serpents. On their arrival, the serpents fall asleep at the apostle’s feet. Matthew challenges the magicians to wake up the serpents but they cannot. At the people’s request, Matthew sends the serpents away. Then he addresses the people, telling them to forsake idols and turn to God. He tells them how God made the first humans and placed them in the paradise of delights, where animals and human lived in harmony, and no-one grew old. But then, through the actions of a jealous angel, humans were cast out of paradise. Now Christ, through his death, has opened paradise for all those who believe.
The people with Matthew receive word that Euphranor, the son of King Eglippus, has died. The magicians tell the king that his son has become a god and he should build a statue and a temple for him. Candace tells the queen, Euphenissa, to call for Matthew, who raises the boy to life. The king marvels at what has happened and sends out word throughout the country about Matthew, calling him a god disguised as a man. A great crowd comes to him ready to make sacrifice but Matthew tells them he is merely a man, a servant of the Son of God; at his command, they build a church for the Lord. In thirty days, the church is built and Matthew names it “Resurrection.” He remains there 23 years and establishes a clergy and other churches in the surrounding towns. The royal family are all baptized; as for the magicians, they flee to Persia (where they encounter two other apostles in the Passion of Simon and Jude).
Upon the king’s death, the kingdom goes to his nephew Hyrtacus. He wishes to marry Iphigenia, the virgin daughter of the king. But she is under the influence of Matthew. Hyrtacus offers the apostle half of the kingdom if he convinces Iphigenia to marry him. Matthew tells Hyrtacus to bring Iphigenia and all her attendant virgins to the church. At the service, Matthew delivers a sermon on marriage, saying it is sanctified by God but that sex is reserved only for childrearing and that married couples must refrain from sex on days appointed for fasting. However, he tells Hyrtacus that Iphigenia is already dedicated as a wife to the Heavenly King and cannot join him in marriage.
At Iphigenia’s request, Matthew consecrates her and the other virgins to the Lord, protecting them against the advances of the king. After the crowd departs, a guard of Hyrtacus strikes Matthew with a sword, killing him. Iphigenia brings gold, silver and precious stones and instructs the clergy to build Matthew a worthy basilica and give the rest to the poor. With Matthew removed, Hyrtacus pressures Iphigenia to abandon her vow; when he fails, he sets fire to her dwelling. But God sends a wind to blow the flames at the palace so that all of the king’s possessions are destroyed. Hyrtacus’s son is forced by a demon to confess his father’s crimes and Hyrtacus is struck with elephantiasis and kills himself with a sword.
Beor, the brother of Iphigenia and consecrated by Matthew, takes the throne and reigns for 63 years; he and his descendants enjoy peace with the Romans and Persians for four generations. Ethiopia is filled with churches up to today and great miracles happen at the tomb of Matthew.
Named Historical Figures and Characters: Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Arfazar, Beor, Dimas/Dysmas/Demas (Good Thief), Eglippus, Eunuch of Candace, Euphenissa, Euphranor, Eve (matriarch), Goliath, Haman, Hyrtacus, Holofernes, Holy Spirit, Iphigenia, Isaac (patriarch), Jacob (patriarch), Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot, Malchus, Mary (Virgin), Matthew (apostle), Paraclete, Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Sisera, Zoroes.
Geographical Locations: Babel, Ethiopia, Euphrates River, Geon River, Naddaver, paradise, Persia, Phison River, Resurrection (church), Rome, Tigris River.
2. RESOURCES
2.1 Web Sites and Other Online Resources
“S00791: Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.” The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity.
“Matthew the Apostle.” Wikipedia.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Latin
3.1.1.1 Latin (BHL 5690)
Angers, Bibliothèque municipale de Angers, 281, fols. 144v–154v (9th cent.)
Dublin, Trinity College, 737 (olim G.04.16), fols. 106v–116v (9th and 12th/13th cent.)
Madrid, Biblioteca nacional, 9783, fols. 146r–148v (13–15th cent.)
Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de médicine, 55, fols. 25v–30v (ca. 800)
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 4554, fols. 34v–41v (8th/9th cent.)
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 13074, fols. 91r–100r; illustrations fol. 90r, 90v (1175)
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 22020, fols. 45v–52r (12th cent.)
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 12604, fols. 64r–69v (12th cent.)
Trier, Stadtbibliotek, 550/1538, fols. 84r–93r (14th cent.)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. lat. 5771, fols. 35v–42r (9th/10th cent.) ~ BAV
Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod. 455, fols. 121r–134r (9th cent.)
Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod. 534, fols. 210v–227v (9th cent.) ~ incomplete at end
Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek Weissenburg, 48, fols. 107v–115v (9th cent.)
Würzburg, Universitätsbibliothek, M.p.th.f. 78, fols. 20v–28v (8th cent.)
Fabricius, Johann Albert. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti. 2 vols. 2nd ed. Hamburg: Schiller, 1719 (a reprint of Lazius’ edition via Lefèvre in vol. 2, pp. 636–68).
Giles, J. A. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti: The Uncanonical Gospels and Other Writings. London: D. Nutt, 1852 (reproduction of Fabricius, pp. 393–410).
Lazius, Wolfgang. Abdiae Babyloniae episcopi et apostolorum discipuli de historia certaminis apostolici libri decem. Bale, 1552 (Repr. Paris: Guillard & Belot, 1566; reprint by Jean Lefèvre in 1560) (based on ONB 455 and 534 but with some editorial glosses at the beginning of the texts, pp. 85v–95v).
Nausea, Friedrich. Anonymi Pilalethi Eusebiani in vitas, miracula passionesque apostolorum rhapsodiae. Cologne: Peter Quentel, 1531 (Latin text from unidentified source, fols. 60r–66r).
Philippart, Guy. Les légendiers latins et autres manuscrits hagiographiques. Typologie des sources du Moyen Age occidental 24–25. Turnhout: Brepols, 1977 (list of manuscripts, pp. 13–20).
Talamo Atenolfi, Giuseppe. I testi medioevali degli Atti di S. Matteo l’Evangelista. Rome: Bestetti, 1958 (Latin text of Vat. lat. 5771 with Italian translation, pp. 58–81).
3.1.1.2 Latin (BHL 5691)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. lat. 1188, fols. 25v–29r) (15th cent.) ~ DVL
Bolland, Jean et al., eds. Acta Sanctorum, Septembris. Vol. 6. Antwerp: P. Jacobs 1698; 3rd ed. Paris: V. Palmé, 1867 (edition of Vat. lat. 1188, pp. 220–25).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Elliott, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in English Translation. Oxford: Clarendon, 1993 (summary, pp. 530–31).
James, M. R. The Apocryphal New Testament: Being the Apocryphal Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses. Oxford: Clarendon, 1924; corrected edition, 1953 (partial translation, pp. 466–67).
3.2.1 French
L’Histoire apostolique d’Abdias, premier évêque de Babylon institué par les apostres, tournie d’hebreu en grec par Eutrope, puis en latin par Jule Africain . . . et nouvellement traduite en nostre vulgaire. Paris: G. Guillard, 1564. Second ed. Lyon: B. Rigaud, 1582 (translation of the edition by Lazius, pp. 99r–111r).
Alibert, Dominique, Gisèle Besson, Michèle Brossard-Dandré, and Simon Claude Mimouni. “Passion de Matthieu.” Pages 811–35 in volume 2 of Écrits apocryphes chrétiens. Edited by Pierre Geoltrain and Jean-Daniel Kaestli. Bibliothèque de la Pléiade 516. Paris: Gallimard, 2005 (French translation based on Wolfenbüttel 48, Angers 281, Dublin 737 and Paris lat. 12604).
Migne, Jacques-Paul. Dictionnaire des Apocryphes. 2 vols. 1856. Repr., Turnhout: Brepols, 1989 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, cols. 549–64).
3.3.3 German
Borberg, Karl Friedrich. Bibliothek der neutestamentlichen Apokryphen, gesammelt, übersetzt, und erläutert. Stuttgart: Literatur-Comptoir, 1841 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 1, pp. 630–56).
3.3.4 Italian
Erbetta, Mario. Gli apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. Italy: Marietti, 1975–1981 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, pp. 518–26).
Moraldi, Luigi. Apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 2 vols. Classici delle religioni, Sezione quarta, La religione cattolica 24. Turin: Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1971 (translation of the edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, pp. 1554–67).
Talamo Atenolfi, Giuseppe. I testi medioevali degli Atti di S. Matteo l’Evangelista. Rome: Bestetti, 1958 (Latin text with Italian translation).
3.3 General Works
See also works on the Apostolic Histories collection.
3.3 General Works
Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3. Braunschweig: Schwetschke und Sohn, 1883–1887 (see vol. 2.2, pp. 137–38).