When were the books of Luke, Mark and John written?
by lizvelrene on March 30th, 2006 In comparison to many books of the Old Testament, which can be pinpointed to specific periods in time, it is difficult to date the exact dates of origin for the Gospels. It is easier to determine how the Gospels relate to each other than the precise years that they were written. It is generally agreed by biblical scholars that Mark was written first, since many of its verses are duplicated almost exactly in other gospels, particularly Matthew. In addition the gospel of Mark does not include many later additions to the Christian story such as the virgin birth. It refers to Christ as the “son of Man” and later passages about the ressurection are sometimes believed to have been added to the text some time after its original composition. Most scholars place its date of origin between 60 and 70 AD, and certainly no later than 73 AD when Jerusalem was sacked. Mark was written in Greek for a gentile audience (the citizens of the Roman empire) and contains man
