Richard Stanley
Well-Known Member
A recent book, The Two Gospels of Mark by Danila Oder, proposes that gMark began life as a play financed by Flavia Domitilla, whom we (and Christians) believe was either a nascent Christian or a Chrestian (per Bartram - more likely IMO). Oder believes that the play's principle audience would have been the Hellenized Jews of Rome, and that the Jesus character was modeled upon the god Hermes. Separately, some claims are made that Hermes (Trismegistus at least) is a reflection of Moses, or vice-versa.
This is all interesting in the 'Chrestian' context, where I believe that there is a syncretizing effort underway even earlier with such as Philo of Alexandria. Oder seems to make a Jewish connection with Alexandria as well.
Usually gMark is accorded a Gentile audience, with gMatthew being the Jewish audience. But, perhaps with Oder's Jews being in Rome, maybe this makes sense?
As we've discussed before, Gary Courtney's Et Tu Judas has the gospels starting out as a play as well. And Carotta's Jesus was Caesar has it all starting with standardized legion garrison paeans to Julius Caesar, later customized 'midrash' style to respective legion ethnic variances.
I have not read this book yet, so I'm only going by the book's web site info: http://www.thetwogospelsofmark.com/
This is all interesting in the 'Chrestian' context, where I believe that there is a syncretizing effort underway even earlier with such as Philo of Alexandria. Oder seems to make a Jewish connection with Alexandria as well.
Usually gMark is accorded a Gentile audience, with gMatthew being the Jewish audience. But, perhaps with Oder's Jews being in Rome, maybe this makes sense?
As we've discussed before, Gary Courtney's Et Tu Judas has the gospels starting out as a play as well. And Carotta's Jesus was Caesar has it all starting with standardized legion garrison paeans to Julius Caesar, later customized 'midrash' style to respective legion ethnic variances.
I have not read this book yet, so I'm only going by the book's web site info: http://www.thetwogospelsofmark.com/
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