Did Mark exonerate really Pilate? Or rather the Jews?

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Giuseppe
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Did Mark exonerate really Pilate? Or rather the Jews?

Post by Giuseppe »

Usually it is said that Mark represented the scribes and pharisees as bad people in order to exonerate Pilate ''from any responsability about the death of Jesus'' etc etc.

I don't believe more this view with the same certainty of before.

Imagine that the Earliest Gospel (beyond if written or oral) was a Gnostic Christian rumor that ''the Jews'' - including children, women and even King Herod who wasn't Jew - killed Jesus.

Therefore the Jew Mark had to react against that Gnostic rumor.
By introducing a trial before Pilate, the editor of Mark was giving only to Pilate + scribes and pharisees the responsability of the death of Jesus. The rest of the Jews are exonerated.
15 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” 3 Then the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
In his Gospel Jesus is made say that the priests will see the Son of Man on the clouds: ''to see'' is not a condemnation in Mark, but always a motive of salvation. Therefore Jesus was already then exonerating and forgiving the same priests!

So Pilate is the only person - among who condemns Jesus - who didn't realize never the identity of Jesus (at the contrary of the priests, who will see the son of man in the future, according to the prophecy of Jesus), even if Jesus himself confirms who he is by saying enigmatically (and deliberately) 'you say so'.

Moreover, the role of Pilate in all the scene seems to be entering (in vain) into a process whose verdict has already been given: death by the (only) scribes and pharisees.

Therefore if we omit any Pilate reference from Mark we obtain something as:
63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. 65 Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him over and beat him.

66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” And he went out into the forecourt.[k] Then the cock crowed.[l] 69 And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about.” 72 At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept,

15 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to be crucified.


16 Then the soldiers [NOTE: OF THE HIGH PRIEST] led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters[o]); and they called together the whole cohort. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18 And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20 After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22 Then they brought Jesus[p] to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus

42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid
In this reconstructed version of an original “Mark without Pilate” it is possible to explain why the soldiers are so bad with Jesus. It would be interesting if the same fluidity of the narrative (seen by me by reading the text in English) can be seen by reading the same text in the original Greek. But I would ask an expert (Ben?) about the latter question.


____APPENDIX______________

Tacitus couldn'have written the Pilate reference by the Christians since the Christian rumor more diffuse was that ''the Jews killed Jesus''.
Tacitus could'have read the archives since that in the archives Pilate would be referred as prefect and not as procurator.
Therefore Tacitus didn't write the Pilate reference in the Testimonium Taciteum.
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
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