GMark --- The Romans and Jews Defiled the Land

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robert j
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GMark --- The Romans and Jews Defiled the Land

Post by robert j »

In the tale constructed by the author of GMark --- with Paul in the background --- one might see the execution of Jesus, in part, as a polemic on the Jewish establishment and on the Romans in light of Deuteronomy 21:22-23. But like in Paul, God came to the rescue for his Son.

In a pivotal passage in Galatians, Paul’s Christ accomplished a redemptive act in a Jewish tradition to set aside the Jewish law ---

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us; for it has been written: "Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree (wood, ξύλου)". (Galatians 3:13).

Paul constructed his argument from two verses in Deuteronomy ---

Accursed is every man whoever shall not adhere to all the words of this law … (Deuteronomy 27:26, LXX)

And directly pertinent to this post ---

And if there be any sin with the judgment of death upon him, and he should die, and you should hang (κρεμάσητε) him upon a tree (wood, ξύλου) … by burial you shall entomb him that day (ημέρα **[/b]), for being cursed by God is every one hanging (κρεμάμενος) upon a tree (wood, ξύλου); and in no way shall you defile the land which the LORD your God gives to you … (Deuteronomy 21:22-23, LXX)


** And God called light, day (ημέραν), and the darkness he called night … (Genesis 1:5, LXX)

The author of GMark, using the terminology found in Paul (He was staked/suspended (ἐσταυρώθη), 2 Corinthians 13:4) --- and imagining how a story of Paul’s Jesus Christ might have played-out if set in the early 1st C. Roman-controlled Judea --- put the deed squarely on the shoulders of the Jewish establishment and the Romans ---

They crucified Him … (ἐσταύρωσαν αὐτόν.) … (Mark 15:25)

The author of GMark was very specific that Jesus remained on the stake while darkness fell over all the land, seemingly in violation of the requirement in Deuteronomy ---

When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out … and breathed His last. (Mark 15:33-37)

With the typical understanding of Jewish time keeping, the darkness fell from noon to 3 in the afternoon. The author of GMark does not provide any explicit explanation for the darkness in the afternoon. The darkness can be seen as allegorical --- the darkness came over all the land as Jesus was dying --- the darkness was a result of Jesus dying. And in this manner, Mark laid blame on the Jewish establishment and on the Romans for defiling the land given by God with Deuteronomy in view.

But the disciple Joseph of Arimathea came to the rescue for Jesus, entombing him in the evening, thus preventing further defilement of the person of Jesus.

In Pauline fashion, the death and resurrection in GMark involved some interval of 3 days. And ‘Mark’ used the same term found about 24 times in Paul’s letters in relation to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And just like in Paul, God was the agent of the ultimate rescue ---

He is risen (ἠγέρθη) … (Mark 16:6).


… Christ was raised up (ἠγέρθη) out from the dead through the glory of the Father … (Romans 6:4)

For indeed He was staked/suspended (ἐσταυρώθη) in weakness, yet He lives by God's power … (2 Corinthians 13:4)

robert j

ETA: I've done some significant editing here to provide more clarity on the nature of the darkness in the afternoon.
Last edited by robert j on Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:22 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Giuseppe
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Re: GMark --- The Romans and Jews Defiled the Land

Post by Giuseppe »

robert j wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:46 am The author of GMark was very specific that Jesus remained on the stake after darkness had fallen over all the land, in violation of the requirement in Deuteronomy ---

When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out … and breathed His last. (Mark 15:33-37)

Hence, with Jesus left on the stake after dark, Mark laid blame squarely on the Jewish establishment and on the Romans for defiling the land given by God.

But the disciple Joseph of Arimathea came to the rescue for Jesus, entombing him while the night was still young, thus preventing the defilement from sinking-in too deeply on the person and spirit of Jesus.
Assuming the hypothesis of the majority (Jewish Origins of the Jesus Myth) - since there is also the hypothesis of a minority about Gnostic origins of such a myth -, I like a lot this your comment.

I note in particular the function of Joseph of Arimathea: he prevents provvidentially the full defilement and so he gives a glimmer of hope so that the world will be not condemned as being execrated in the eyes of God.

The same glimmer of hope behind the possibility that the pious women could inform Peter and the others that Jesus is now in the Galilee of gentiles (so that Peter is forgiven for the his idiocy).

Hence I wonder: was Joseph of Arimathea a kind of Savior figure, after all?


Without his intervention, the earth would be defiled irredeemably and God would have destroyed it in 1 second.

Some questions:

Is the Joseph episode an apology to explain the delay of the Parusia? And if so, a way to eclipse a previous myth where the corpse of Jesus defiled really fully the land, since it was left hanged during the night, against Deut. 21:23 ?

In alternative, is the Joseph figure, in the his role of provvidential Saviour who prevents the full defilement of the land, a figure who had to eclipse a more divine and alien figure, in order to judaize it?

Only my suggestions...
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
robert j
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Re: GMark --- The Romans and Jews Defiled the Land

Post by robert j »

Giuseppe wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:47 am Assuming the hypothesis of the majority (Jewish Origins of the Jesus Myth) -
Yes, I think the available evidence strongly favors that assumption.
Giuseppe wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:47 am - since there is also the hypothesis of a minority about Gnostic origins of such a myth -
For me, that solution for the origin of early Christian thought is just way too far down the list of possibilities. I'm just not interested in a duscussion along those lines here and now.
Giuseppe
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Re: GMark --- The Romans and Jews Defiled the Land

Post by Giuseppe »

robert j wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:02 am
Giuseppe wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:47 am - since there is also the hypothesis of a minority about Gnostic origins of such a myth -
For me, that solution for the origin of early Christian thought is just way too far down the list of possibilities. I'm just not interested in a duscussion along those lines here and now.
it was not my intention to discuss about it, indeed, as my previous post shows (I hope). I wanted only to reveal my cards in advance.
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
robert j
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Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 5:01 pm

Re: GMark --- The Romans and Jews Defiled the Land

Post by robert j »

I've done some significant editing to the OP to provide more clarity on the nature of the darkness in the afternoon.
Last edited by robert j on Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
robert j
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Re: GMark --- The Romans and Jews Defiled the Land

Post by robert j »

Another possible solution for the mid-day darkness in GMark is this passage from the LXX as source material ---

And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord, [that] the sun shall go down at mid-day, and the light shall be darkened on the earth by day, and I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation … (Amos 8:9-10, LXX)

This solution and the suggestion in the OP are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
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