1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

Page 4 of 4

would place the date of writing as around the time of Caligula's attempt to place a statue of himself in the guise of Zeus in the temple of Jerusalem. (Josephus Ant. Book 18 Chapter 2 ). Caligula, called Caius by Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, was murdered in 41 A.D.

Josephus wrote:

"Hereupon Caius, taking it very heinously that he should be thus despised by the Jews alone, sent Petronius to be president of Syria, and successor in the government to Vitellius, and gave him order to make an invasion into Judea, with a great body of troops; and if they would admit of his statue willingly, to erect it in the temple of God; but if they were obstinate, to conquer them by war, and then to do it."

14) What does Joesphus say Caligula was going to do?
Threatened war on Judea by way of Syria.

15) What did Judea have to do to avoid this war?
Desecrate the temple by placing a statue of Caligula in the Holy of Holies.

The second persecution within a few decades of Jesus' crucifixion was under Nero in Rome. This theory places the writing of Mark in the early to mid 60's.

Gaius Cornelius Tacitus wrote Annals (book 15 verse 44) in the late first or early second century :

"all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed ."

16) What does Tacitus tells us the reason for this persecution was?

17) Why did Nero choose Christians to blame the fire on?

Further evidence that Mark was writing to Romans is the fact that Mark felt the need to explain Jewish practices to his readers, and even interprets Aramaic forms that remain in the text. These practices point to a Gentile audience. We will examine these when we study those verses.

Where this Gospel was written is less certain, again Rome is likely.

18) What do you think Mark's main points were when he wrote this book?
That Jesus was the prophesied Messiah
The message of Christ coming is true in spite of the Jewish peoples rejection.
The Gospel is the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel and can not be understood a part from its historical context.

Learn more about this author, Clyde Annach.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Add your voice

Know something about Leading a Bible study on the Gospel of Mark?
We want to hear your view. Write now!