There are significant agreements between the Didache and the Gospel of Matthew as these writings share words, phrases and

motifs. In modern scholarship, there seems to be an increasing reluctance, however, to support the thesis that the Didache used Matthew. And, indeed, such a close relationship might equally suggest that both documents were created in the same historical and geographical setting, for example in the Greek-speaking part of Syria.

If the Didache and Matthew did indeed emanate from the same geographical, social, and cultural setting, new questions arise. Who were the Christians standing behind the Didache and Matthew? Can we trace the developing interests of the respective community or communities in the different textual layers of the Didache and Matthew? Is it possible to frame the congregation(s) within the social history of Jews and Jewish believers-in-Jesus in first-century Syria? What stage of development or separation between Christians, Jewish Christians, and Jews is envisaged?

In order to invite discussion and exchange ideas on this fundamental issue, an international conference was organized by the Tilburg Faculty of Theology in April 2003. Scholars of related fields (New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, Liturgy, Patristic Studies) were brought together to debate about the matter in the light of their diverse specialties and previous research. This volume contains the edited proceedings of the meeting of experts.