Hebrews, Epistle to the. The aim of this epistle is to prove from the Old Testament the divinity, humanity, atonement and intercession of Christ, and his preeminence over Moses and the angels of God; to demonstrate the superiority of the gospel to the law, and the real object and design of the Mosaic institution. The name of the writer of this epistle is nowhere mentioned. Its authorship is disputed, many ascribing it to the apostle Paul, others to Apollos, Luke, or Barnabas. It is believed to have been written in Italy about a.d. 63.