Reading Mark in Context: Jesus and Second Temple Judaism

by Zondervan (Editor), N.T. Wright (Foreword), Ben C. Blackwell (Editor)

Over the last several decades, the Jewishness of Jesus has been at the forefront of scholarship and students of the New Testament are more than ever aware of the importance of understanding Jesus and the Gospels in their Jewish context. Reading Mark in Context helps students see the contour and texture of Jesus' engagement with his Jewish environment. It brings together a series of accessible essays that compare and contrast viewpoints, theologies, and hermeneutical practices of Mark and his various Jewish contemporaries.

Going beyond an introduction that merely surveys historical events and theological themes, this textbook examines individual passages in Second Temple Jewish literature in order to illuminate the context of Mark's theology and the nuances of his thinking. Following the narrative progression of Mark's Gospel, each chapter in this textbook (1) pairs a major unit of the Gospel with one or more sections of a thematically-related Jewish text, (2) introduces and explores the historical and theological nuances of the comparative text, and (3) shows how the ideas in the comparative text illuminate those expressed in Mark.

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2018

About the author

Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They are a part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. and has multiple imprints including Zondervan Academic, Zonderkidz, Blink, and Editorial Vida. Zondervan is the commercial rights holder for the New International Version (NIV) Bible in North America.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

If we do not make use of historical background to the New Testament, we are in danger of misreading these books and letters with 21st-century eyes. This volume introduces us to important historical and religious writings from the Second Temple Period (roughly from the Jewish return from Babylonian exile in 516 BC to the destruction of the temple by Rome in AD 70). These range from the works of Josephus to the Dead Sea Scrolls to the apocrypha to Rabbinic writings, and more.

The book progresses through every section of Mark’s gospel, which each chapter written in the same concise, dictionary-like format—an introduction to a periscope of Mark, a discussion of a single key, related Second Temple text, discussion of the Markan text, and further reading related to Second Temple Literature.

What we find is that Mark is not so much dependent on Second Temple Literature as they are both dependent on the Old Testament. Mark and Second Temple Literature run on parallel tracks. By comparing and contrasting them, we see more clearly their often different purposes.

This book does not dramatically alter our view of Mark or add much new information, but, via contrast, helps highlight Mark’s key ideas. There are exceptions of course. For example, why did Herod execute John the Baptist? Josephus sees the motive as political while Mark sees it as religious and ethical. These are complementary not contradictory views, with Josephus filling out a more three-dimensional picture for us.

Each chapter is written by a different contributor, including senior scholars like Rick Watts, Michael Bird, Mark Strauss, and Craig Evans. Some of the most interesting material comes from such scholars as Sarah Whittle on defilement (Mk 7:1-23), Suzanne Watts Henderson on blindness and sight (Mk 8:1-26), Jeanette Hagen Piper on imperfect faith (Mk 9:14-29), and Helen Bond on Pilate (Mk 15:1-15).

One question the introduction does not address is why there may be no direct quotes from and so few allusions to Second Temple Literature (especially compared to the Old Testament) in Mark and the other gospels. Was Mark not familiar with them, or were they generally not well known? Or are there other reasons?

As a reference book, this is not a text with a thesis or case to make about Mark, except that Second Temple Literature is valuable. It serves that purpose admirably, encouraging readers to go deeper into such material to mine its useful ore.

[Randall Couchman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old building stands near the center of town, just off the old park, now ragged, run down but still, if you listen carefully, reverberating with laughter, thrilling screams and chatter of child’s play. No signs, no markers and no memorials are apparent anywhere near but you know this place was something special. You see the forms, the building’s structure and know that planning, purpose and pleasure were entangled in this history, this historical marker of sorts. You wonder trying to imagine. An old woman eases up, sits down beside you on the bench from which you’ve peered over the landscape; she’s not talking to you, but to everyone that she knew in her childhood that played or came here. You listen and try to picture it all. She speaks as though they all are still alive and tells their stories, giving them names and putting meaning to the park’s relics and the building’s purpose. When finished, you feel like it’s your park, the place where you played and the building where you once entered to sing, clap, lift hands and engage with others the presence of mighty God! You didn’t, but somehow the stories bring you into that place, its moments and pleasures and now all of it’s yours! Reading Mark in Context is the park bench, the content of it is the old lady’s stories and Mark will be more yours than ever before by listening, imagining and seeing the pieces of this ancient narrative take their place. Like the old woman, storytellers don’t say everything, but enough to help you along. Here is such a tool; it will bring the old neighborhood of Jesus’ ministry and mission alive with original sounds and interaction that will have you saying things like, “So that’s what Jesus was saying, what he was up to,” and, “here is life as intended in this old and now renewed neighborhood.” peace

[Jamin Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great content. Didn’t always feel like hearing the background content necessarily revolutionized my thinking or understand of a passage like it sometimes does, but the book does exactly what it sets out to do.

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging look at comparable contemporary literature to Mark's gospel. Works through the entire gospel, section by section, and brings in parallels in other Jewish texts.

[Eric Blessing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the study of the New Testament in light of Second Temple Judaism.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for class. I liked getting the perspectives of multiple authors as well as a healthy look at what can be learned from extra biblical sources.