The Gospel of Mark and the Roman-Jewish War of 66-70 CE: Jesus' Story as a Contrast to the Events of the War

This book interprets Marks gospel in light of the Roman-Jewish War of 66-70 CE. Locating the authorship of Marks gospel in rural Galilee or southern Syria after the fall of Jerusalem and the temple and after Vespasians enthronement as the new emperor Kimondo argues that Marks first hearers--people who lived through and had knowledge of the important events of the war--may have evaluated Marks story of Jesus as a contrast to Roman imperial values. He makes an intriguing case that Jesus proclamation as the Messiah in the villages of Caesarea Philippi set up a deliberate contrast between Jesuss teaching and Vespasians proclamation of himself as the worlds divine ruler. He suggests that Marks hearers may have interpreted Jesus liberative campaign in Galilee as a deliberate contrast to Vespasians destructive military campaigns in the area. Jesuss teachings about wealth power and status while on the way to Jerusalem may have been heard as contrasts to Roman imperial values; hence the entire story of Jesus may have been interpreted an anti-imperial narrative.