Quote:The the first gospel was written was Mark in 60 CE but probably closer to 70 CE.
The rationale for that is the so-called Little Apocalypse. This (the destruction of the temple) ignores two very basic points.
1- It makes 70 the terminus a quo, the earliest possible date for an event and there is no reason to suppose that "mark" or whoever sat there writing by the flickering fires of the burning temple. The ruins of Jerusalem remained untouched for 65+ years, except for the spot where the Xth Legion built their garrison camp, until Hadrian flattened everything to rebuild the city as Aelia Capitolina but, even more to the point is
2- the markan bullshit story says " Leaving the temple area, a disciple said: "Teacher, look at the huge blocks of stone and the enormous buildings!" Facing the temple, Jesus responds: "You see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another - all will be torn down." The funny thing is that is exactly what happened. But it happened after 135 as part of Hadrian's urban renewal project.
So, even the traditionalists can't specify where in the range of 70-135 'mark' was written but the temple was not leveled as predicted until the mid 2d century.
