The census tax & the date of the gospel of Mark.

[FransJVermeiren]

Thank you DCH and all the others for the excellent information. Based on it I started a new thread: Killing a keeper of a stockpile of Caesar's corn.

[Peter Kirby]

Hi Ben, et al! It's been a while since we last chatted - and about as long as I went to IIDB forums, I suppose! I can't remember if I ever told you, Ben, but you gave me feedback on a manuscript that ended up getting published in the Journal of Higher Criticism shortly before it went defunct: https://www.academia.edu/34646389/Fear_ ... ve_Stratum (you're mentioned in the first footnote - unfortunately JHC omitted all footnotes in the published version for reasons I can't fathom)

Thanks for the generally positive feedback. Just to address a few things that people mentioned:

1) It is true that there isn't much direct evidence one way or the other of monetary taxation in pre-War Palestine. That said, the sheer absence of high- or even mid-value coinage in the pre-War era suggests that taxation was largely exacted in kind rather than monetarily. Indeed, the references in Josephus all seem to suggest that taxes were strictly in-kind as well.

2) The issue of Markan provenance is contentious, as a few of you have noted. My own suspicion is that Mark was written in the village of Capernaum. I have argued for Capernaum in particular here: https://www.academia.edu/34412322/Caper ... Evangelist and either post-War Palestine or Syria here: https://www.academia.edu/34924189/Loanw ... omposition I don't expect that these will change the mind of anyone absolutely convinced to the contrary, but may give a sense for why I tend this direction.

3) You all are certainly correct that I suspect that the episode was largely - perhaps entirely - created by Mark. The version in the Gospel of Thomas (saying 100) is no more plausible, though I'm not really sure if it's independent of Mark or not.

Anyway, it's late, but thanks so much for taking an interest in my research!

Highlighting this reply, since the link placed it in moderation. Good to see you, Chris!

[Ben C. Smith]

Hi Ben, et al! It's been a while since we last chatted - and about as long as I went to IIDB forums, I suppose!

Too long. I hope all is going well with you.

I can't remember if I ever told you, Ben, but you gave me feedback on a manuscript that ended up getting published in the Journal of Higher Criticism shortly before it went defunct: https://www.academia.edu/34646389/Fear_ ... ve_Stratum (you're mentioned in the first footnote - unfortunately JHC omitted all footnotes in the published version for reasons I can't fathom)

You had told me that this was the plan, but I was unaware of the final outcome until I found the tax paper on your Academia list and then scanned through your other papers there, as well, including the one you are referring to; thanks for the footnote.

[Ben C. Smith]

Highlighting this reply, since the link placed it in moderation. Good to see you, Chris!

Thanks, Peter. I would have missed it.

[Peter Kirby]

BTW, for anyone new to the forum, full link privileges kick in at around 3-4 posts. Until then, it's moderated.