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Meaning & History
Means "gift of Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from the roots מַתָּת (mattaṯ) meaning "gift" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. It is borne by a few minor characters in the Old Testament. This was also the name of a 2nd-century BC Jewish priest who began a revolt against the Seleucid Empire, as told in the deuterocanonical Books of Maccabees. After his death his sons, the Maccabees, completed the revolt.The New Testament name Matthew is descended from this name.