This post is to compile issues in the Gospel of Mark that show the writer was not from Canaan and was not an experienced, practicing Jew.
In Mark 6:14, Mark calls Herod “king,” which is incorrect. Matthew and Luke give him his correct title, “tetrarch.”
Mark 6: 14-16 – King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
From OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com
First response about geographical issues
The Gospel of Mark contains several geographical inconsistencies or peculiarities that have been noted by scholars. Here is a list of some of them, with corresponding verses from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV):
- Traveling through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee (Mark 7:31) “Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.”
- Problem: Sidon is geographically north of Tyre, while the Sea of Galilee and the Decapolis are significantly to the south. The route described would be highly indirect and unusual.
- Crossing the sea multiple times (Mark 4:35–5:20, 6:45–53, 8:10)
- Example: In Mark 6:45–53, Jesus and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee multiple times without clear geographical logic. “Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.”
- Problem: The movement across the sea and the identification of locations like Bethsaida and Gennesaret seem inconsistent or unclear.
- Gadara and the Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1) “They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.”
- Problem: Gerasa (modern Jerash) is about 30 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, making it unlikely to be the location described. Some manuscripts suggest Gadara (closer but still a significant distance), while others have Gergesa, which aligns better geographically.
- Journey to Jerusalem from Jericho (Mark 10:46–52) “They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.”
- Problem: Mark places Jesus leaving Jericho immediately before entering Jerusalem (Mark 11:1), but Jericho is about 15 miles away. While not technically an error, the narrative pacing suggests a compressed timeline.
- Tyre and the Decapolis (Mark 7:24–31) “From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice… Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.”
- Problem: Tyre and Sidon are coastal cities in Phoenicia, north of Galilee, while the Decapolis is southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The described route is geographically perplexing.
These errors or inconsistencies are often discussed in the context of Mark’s possible lack of direct familiarity with Palestinian geography. Scholars suggest that these features could indicate the Gospel was written for a primarily non-Palestinian audience, who might not notice such details.
Second response about issues with the author’s understanding of Jewish law
Here are examples from the Gospel of Mark where the author appears to lack understanding of Jewish laws, along with the corresponding verses from the NRSV:
1. The Cleansing of All Foods (Mark 7:18–19)
“He said to them, ‘Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.)”
- Problem: The claim that Jesus “declared all foods clean” conflicts with the Torah’s dietary laws, which were central to Jewish practice. Jewish law prohibits certain foods (e.g., pork and shellfish) regardless of their effect on the body. While this might reflect the early Christian community’s views, it demonstrates a misunderstanding of the enduring significance of dietary laws within Judaism.
2. David Eating the Bread of the Presence (Mark 2:25–26)
“And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’”
- Problem: The reference to Abiathar as high priest is historically inaccurate; according to 1 Samuel 21:1–6, the high priest at the time was Ahimelech, Abiathar’s father. Additionally, the bread of the Presence was indeed restricted to priests, and this story is used in a way that may reflect a misunderstanding of the legal and ritual significance of this restriction.
3. Ritual Handwashing (Mark 7:1–5)
“Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders…)”
- Problem: This passage generalizes that “all the Jews” follow the Pharisaic practice of handwashing before meals. However, this was a specific Pharisaic tradition, not universally observed by all Jews at the time. The depiction may oversimplify Jewish customs and reflects a lack of nuance about intra-Jewish diversity.
4. Sabbath Laws (Mark 2:23–24)
“One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’”
- Problem: Plucking grain is described as unlawful on the Sabbath, based on interpretations of work prohibited in Exodus 34:21. However, Jewish tradition allows for acts of necessity (e.g., alleviating hunger) on the Sabbath. The portrayal of the Pharisees as overly legalistic may reflect a misunderstanding or exaggeration of their Sabbath practices.
- From ChatGPT: Yes, under Jewish law in Jesus’ time, it was permissible to pick grain by hand to satisfy one’s hunger, but not to harvest for profit. This is based on Deuteronomy 23:25 (ASV):
- “When thou comest into thy neighbor’s standing grain, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thy hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbor’s standing grain.”
- This law allowed travelers or the poor to pick grain by hand for immediate consumption, ensuring that no one went hungry. However, using a sickle or gathering in large amounts would have been considered harvesting, which was not allowed without the owner’s permission.
- The controversy in Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28, and Luke 6:1-5 arose not because Jesus’ disciples were picking grain, but because they did so on the Sabbath, which some Pharisees interpreted as violating Sabbath rest. Jesus responded by pointing to David eating the showbread (1 Samuel 21:1-6) and emphasized mercy over strict legalism.
5. Divorce Laws (Mark 10:11–12)
“He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’”
- Problem: Jewish law permitted divorce and remarriage for both men and women, as outlined in Deuteronomy 24:1–4. While the text reflects Jesus’ stricter teaching on divorce, the phrasing suggests a lack of awareness that, under Jewish law, men could initiate divorce more readily than women, and the equality of application presented here does not align with typical Jewish legal structures of the time.
6. Preparation Day and Burial Timing (Mark 15:42–46)
“When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council…went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”
- Problem: According to Jewish law, handling a corpse would render Joseph ritually impure, making it impossible for him to participate in Sabbath activities (Numbers 19:11–22). While exceptions could be made, the narrative does not address the ritual implications, showing a possible lack of familiarity with the legal complexities involved.
These examples highlight areas where the Gospel of Mark reflects a misunderstanding or oversimplification of Jewish laws and practices, possibly indicating that its author was writing for a predominantly non-Jewish audience unfamiliar with these details.
