When was the Gospel of Mark written?

By Julie M. Smith

Mark’s Gospel does not contain any specific dates for its contents or writing.[1] It is possible that Mark was written in stages (either because Mark himself wrote the Gospel over a number of years or because he incorporated passages that were written by someone else at an earlier time, or both). There is a high degree of scholarly consensus that the Gospel of Mark was written in the 60s. Continue reading →

The Ending of Mark’s Gospel

By Julie M. Smith 

Virtually all scholars believe that Mark 16:9–20[1] was not originally part of the Gospel for the following reasons:

  1. Some ancient manuscripts lack it and some of those that include it have a note that the text is disputed.[2]
  2. It is difficult to imagine why a copyist would omit it; it is much easier to imagine a copyist adding it.
  3. Several early Christian writers appear to know copies of the Gospel of Mark that do not include Mark 16:9-20.[3] Continue reading →