Summary When I wrote my book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text, I assumed that the received text of the Joseph of Arimathea scene in the Gospel of Mark (Mk 15:42-46) preserved the performance of Mark’s play. I assumed that the audience heard the spoken words “Iōsēph ho apo Harimathaias.” I assumed that…
Category: Gospel of Mark
Dramatic enactment of the Gospel of Mark by actor Max McLean
A YouTube search yields several dramatic readings of the Gospel of Mark, including an excellent one by actor David Suchet. But the dramatic enactment of the Gospel of Mark by actor Max McLean is in a class by itself. McLean dramatizes the dialogue. He uses the stage and all of the actor’s craft to keep…
The fig tree episode in the Gospel of Mark is an editorial overwrite
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). The fig-tree episode should have some relationship to either the triumph or to Jesus’s actions in the Temple. But instead, Jesus explains to…
Reconstruction of the Pilate scene in the Gospel of Mark
Executive Summary In the Pilate scene in the Gospel of Mark, Mark invoked a name, “Pilate,” that had meaning to the audience of his play. We can assume that Mark expected the audience (in Rome 90-95 CE) to bring their knowledge of Pilate, that he was hard or even cruel. But the Passover Privilege presents…
Mark 13:14 is not by Mark
In my book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text, I excluded Mark 13:14 from my proposed original Olivet Discourse. In the book, I did not have room to explain why. Here I give the reasons I think Mark 13:14 is not by Mark. But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken…
Is “Andrew” in the Gospel of Mark the name of the author?
Introduction When I wrote the book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text, I concluded that the character “Andrew” (Greek: “Andreas”) was never on stage in the performance of the Gospel of Mark. “Andrew” is not necessary to the action, he does nothing individual, he does not receive a nickname like his ‘brother’, and…
What is the meaning of “Herodians” in the Gospel of Mark?
Summary “Herodians” appear in the text of Mk 3:6 and 12:13. I believe that they were added by an editor. Herodians do not speak or contribute anything distinctive to the action. The name is a distinction without a difference. During the performance of the Gospel of Mark, there were no Herodians onstage. Because Mark’s purpose…
What was the title of Mark’s play?
Here I investigate the title of the play behind the Gospel of Mark. In antiquity, comedies and mime plays seem to have been named for the profession or a 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.” The…
In the Gospel of Mark, why does Jesus appear in Galilee?
In the Gospel of Mark, why does Jesus appear in Galilee, and not in some other place? There are three good reasons why Jesus appears in Galilee. First, the Sea of Galilee borders the Galilee. Mark can have characters in his story who are fishermen. He can stage scenes that use a boat, such as…