Summary The episode of the cursing of the fig tree in the Gospel of Mark is not good theater. It follows the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and brackets the Temple Incident (TI), both exciting and dramatic scenes. The fig-tree episode should have some relationship to …
Read MoreMark characterizes Jesus as Hermes
This post is a response to a post on Vridar, Reading the Gospels through a Roman Philosopher’s Eyes, August 5, 2020. There, Neil Godfrey observes, “what the Stoic author Cornutus wrote about Hermes brings to mind several core motifs in the gospels, but in particular …
Read MoreReconstruction of the Pilate scene in the Gospel of Mark
Summary The Passover Privilege—the choice offered by Pilate to the multitudes of Jerusalem—has long been problematic. Mark invoked a name, “Pilate,” that had meaning to the audience of his play, in Rome 90-95 CE. We can assume that Mark expected the audience to bring their …
Read MoreMark 13:14 is not by Mark
But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains… (Mk 13:14 NRSV) In my book I exclude Mark 13:14 from my proposed original Olivet Discourse in …
Read MoreIs “Andrew” in GMark the name of the author?
The following proposal, like many of the posts on this blog, assumes that you have read my book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text, and are familiar with my proposed life-situation for Mark. When I wrote the book, I decided that the character …
Read MoreWhat does “Herodians” mean in the Gospel of Mark?
Executive summary: It is reasonable to conclude that during the play, there were no Herodians onstage. There is no reason to think that in real life, followers of Herod were visually distinctive. In addition, according to the text of GMark, the Herodians did not contribute …
Read MoreWhat was the title of Mark’s play?
Comedies were usually named by the profession or particular quality of the main character, e.g., “The Grouch” or “The Girl from Samos.” Sometimes the name referred to a plot development, “The False Accuser.” (In such cases, the audience knew what to expect; the enjoyment was …
Read MoreIn the Gospel of Mark, why does Jesus appear in Galilee, and not in some other place?
The most obvious reason is: the Sea of Galilee is in Galilee. That allows Mark to have characters who are fishermen, and to stage scenes that involve boats. Second, Galilee is near enough to Jerusalem that Jesus and his entourage can plausibly, in the world …
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