Ca 74 CE

The Roman Christian Gospel of Mark is published in for only the initiated as a very sophisticated and extensive  allegorical literary effort that includes ‘Secret Mark’ which, on the surface, portrays Jesus in the Greek divine man mode but to initiates represents Jesus as a mystery school teacher and healer.  It is a necessary Herodian Roman response to the Jewish Christian Gospel of the Hebrews and ‘Second Apocalypse of James’ which portray Jesus as a Hebrew renunciate revealer.  The Herodians needed a Roman-friendly Savior which was rejected by Judaism to keep themselves from all being crucified in the next Roman-Jewish war.  None of the Jewish associates and family of Jesus understands him.  The mystic kiss that Jesus gives James in ‘James’ becomes the kiss of Judas in Mark.  The first witness to the divinity of Jesus is a Roman centurion.  The names of the first two witnesses after the resurrection after the appearance to Mary Magdalene who were walking in the country are missing so as not to give any publicity to James the Just. There is no mention of the Hebraic Wisdom/the Mother/the Virgin as the Holy Spirit.  Herod Antipas is left out of the Passion Week in contrast to the Gospel of Peter which lessens the embarrassment for the Herodian relatives.  The resurrection happens on the first day of the week in contrast to the previous day for the Gospel of Peter so as not to coincide with the Jewish Sabbath.  Mark is also a response to ‘Joseph and Asenath’ coming out of the Parthian Empire in down-playing Helen, the Queen of Adiabene by dividing up her key role into ‘Mary Magdalene’ who is the devoted disciple and ‘Joseph of Arimathea’ who is the powerful political figure that can request the body of Jesus.