Mark 13: 1-11: A Redactional Analysis

Redaction criticism can be defined as a literary analysis that identifies the redactor, or author’s significance in how sources were gathered, presented, and interpreted in a new or different way to write a biblical text that reflects the author’s viewpoint (Harris, 2014, p.125). Further research shows that the word redaction was viewed differently by New Testament scholars after 1955, due to the word was used to describe the collecting, rearranging, re-elaborating, and reshaping of older material (Ska, 2005). I will perform a redactional analysis of the Passion story in the narrative Matthew 26:1-16 and Mark 14:1-11. The contents will identify how the authors are similar in certain ways, but they differ in other ways, with an overall
Matthew 26:2

• In comparison, in Mark 14:1, the author speaks instead of Jesus, and he informs the people that after two days, it will be Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but Jesus’ self-predicted crucifixion was not mentioned. Instead, the author conveyed to the people that the scribes and priests were planning how to trick and kill Jesus. Also, the author arranged the event out of chronological order. Mark 14:1

• The betrayal of Jesus, by Judas in Mark 14:11, the author speaks of Judas as one of the Twelve who went to speak to the high priests about his plans to betray Jesus. The priests were astonished, and they promised to pay Judas well. After the conversation, Judas began to make plans for the perfect moment to hand Jesus over to them.

• In comparison, in Matthew 26:14-16, the author speaks of Judas as one of the Twelve, who went to the high priests and asked them what will they give him if he hands Jesus over to them. This author states that they settled on thirty silver pieces, which was counted out to him. After that moment, Judas began to make plans to betray
Specifically, Mark is known as the first of the four Gospels who did not have a personal encounter with Jesus, so scholars believe that Mark used more oral tradition and various written sources such as a collection of apocalyptic prophecies, a group of Jesus’ parables, and older history on Jesus’ arrest, trial, and punishment (Harris, 2014, p.137). Mark’s purpose for the writings was to encourage the Gentile Christians, who were suffering from oppression and to encourage those who needed encouragement to stay faithful to God’s promise (Harris, 2014, p.137). Scholars believe that approximately around 66-70 CE, the writings were composed during the Jewish Revolt against Rome, and the place of composition was in Rome or Syria – Palestine (Harris, 2014,