In this meticulously researched and compelling study, David Sim reconstructs the social setting of the Matthean community at the time the Gospel was written and traces its full history.Dr Sim argues that the Matthean community should be located in Antioch towards the latter part of the first century. He acknowledges the dispute within the early Christian movement and its importance. He defines more accurately the distinctive perspectives of the two streams of thought and their respective relationships to Judaism. A new and important work in Matthean studies. Journal of Religious History 25.1 (February 2001)Highlights: "Sim defends his thesis relentlessly and the product is a provocative study that invites discussion on almost every page. Readers who finally reject Sim's principal conclusions will nevertheless be grateful that his painstaking argument has sharpened their own thinking."