Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

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Did You Know... Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew is a Latin apocryphal infancy gospel, probably composed between the 7th and 9th centuries CE. It expands on canonical and earlier apocryphal sources to narrate the births and childhoods of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Although excluded from the New Testament, it was highly influential in medieval Western Christianity, shaping devotion to Mary and imagery of Christ’s early life.

Key facts

  • Language: Latin

  • Probable date: 7th–9th centuries CE

  • Sources: Protevangelium of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas

  • Attributed to: Matthew the Apostle (pretended; actually anonymous)

  • Earliest manuscripts: 11th century CE

Origins and composition

The work presents itself as a Latin translation by St. Jerome from a Hebrew book written by the Apostle Matthew, a claim used to grant it authority. Modern scholarship rejects this attribution, identifying it as a Western compilation based largely on the Protevangelium of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, with additional episodes and commentary. Prefatory letters to bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus and the prologue serve as pseudonymous framing devices.

Content

The narrative begins with the story of Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, her miraculous birth and dedication to the Temple, and continues through the Nativity and childhood of Jesus. It includes popular scenes such as the Annunciation, the Presentation of Mary, the Flight into Egypt, and miracles performed by the child Jesus. These episodes supplied key motifs for medieval Marian iconography and dramatizations of the Holy Family.

Medieval influence

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew circulated widely in Latin and vernacular translations and inspired derivative works such as the Nativity of Mary. Its stories informed liturgy, monastic devotion, and visual arts from illuminated manuscripts to Gothic sculpture. Despite its non-canonical status, it functioned as a principal Western conduit for infancy traditions originating in the Eastern Church.