Where was Mark's Gospel written and why?

Answer 1

A:Since the Gospel of Mark was originally anonymous, we do not really know where it was written or why. A common tradition is that it was written in Rome, but as it was written in Greek Koine it is more likely to have been written somewhere in the ancient Near East, where Greek Koine was spoken.

We do know that Mark's Gospel was written approximately 70 CE, at the end of the First Roman-Jewish War, so it is very likely that the reason for the gospel had something to do with that war. It may be that the early Christians were keen to show the Romans that their beliefs were not opposed to the Roman peace. It could also be that because the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and the end of the influence of the Sadducees and Pharisees left the Jews without theological leadership, the early Christians wanted a gospel that showed Christianity to be the natural successor to the old order.