Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew and Early Jewish Christianity

Abstract

The author attempts to pinpoint the date of the Shem-Tob type Matthaean text by locating its theology within the history of Jewish Christianity. After delineating four theological motifs in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew: (1) Exaltation of John the Baptist, (2) Continued Relevance of the Baptism of John, (3) Delayed Inclusion of the Gentiles, (4) Delayed Recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, a comparison is made with the theologies of several Jewish Christian groups mentioned in the New Testament and later Christian literature. Although the distinctive motifs in the Hebrew Matthew are generally represented within Jewish Christianity, no single group is a good candidate for publishing this text. A general date within the first four centuries is, therefore, suggested for the Shem-Tob type text.