When Was the Gospel of Mark Written?

Dates for the writing of the second gospel range from AD 44 to 75. Documentary theories on the writings of the Synoptic Gospels require that Mark be the earliest of the gospels. There has been a tendency in recent scholarship to date the writing of all the NT books earlier than previously thought. Part of the reason for this is that the destruction of Jerusalem (in AD 70) is never mentioned in the New Testament. That fact would have been extremely significant in a number of the gospel stories, and, if it had indeed occurred, surely one or more of the gospel writers would have mentioned it. A quote from Irenaeus must be evaluated when considering Mark’s date: “Matthew also issued a written gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching in Rome, and laying the foundation of the church.

After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter” (Against Heresies, III, i, 1). The word “departure” is the word exodus, used in Scripture for physical death (cf. Lk 9:51). If that was what Irenaeus was communicating, the second gospel could not have been written until after Peter’s death. According to Eusebius, Mark wrote the gospel based on Peter’s lectures on the life of Jesus in Rome and was approved by Peter. Mark’s gospel was circulated privately while Peter lived, and then Mark published it after Peter’s death. In what year did Peter die? Tradition states Peter died under the persecutions of Nero, which began in AD 64. Many believe that Peter’s death may have occurred around AD 66 or 67. After his death, there was a desire to commit to writing Peter’s stories concerning Jesus. Mark was the natural choice to pen the account. Not only that, but the Holy Spirit moved him along (cf. 2Pt 1:21) to communicate the stories without errors. The actual writing probably took place in AD 67 or 68.