I am an orthodox Christian, ask me a question!

[Jon Paul]

JP wrote:"you again failed to address my actual analysis and argument of the late dating, and, if anything, only proven that you are willing to assent to non-mainstream views (mythical Jesus) just to satisfy your own bias."

(.. another rambling about Q ..)

Q had nothing to do with my analysis of the grounds on which the late dating of the first Gospel is accepted. Q is not the first Gospel. Q is a wholly other matter.

"Because of the reference to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE (Mark 13:2), most scholars believe that Mark was written some time during the war between Rome and the Jews (66-74). Most early dates fall around 65 CE and most late dates fall around 75 CE. "

And that's exactly what I've been dealing with all along. There's nothing new in the article you linked to, and it exactly resonates with what I've already said - namely that late dates are accepted only because people believe there are prophesies in the first Gospel (though amazingly, far from all scholars agree which exact events in the first century it does prophesy; some have suggested that it prophesies events as late as in the second century, and thus postponed it's dating until the mid second century, only proving my point that vague predictions happen all the time, and are easily explained as coincidences or reasonable anticipations, before it's necesary to believe in prophecies), which is not even necessary to presuppose, and then of course, on top of that presupposition, the additional presupposition that prophesies are not possible is needed before we can infer a late date. That is not historical evidence, but philosophical presuppositions. Those dates are accepted by many scholars on grounds which are simply insufficient .