Common Mistakes

This image that depicts Saint Mark writing his Gospel as a very elderly man is an image that is not correct from the historical point of view.

It is known that Saint Mark was martyred in the year 68 AD. His age at that time was about 55 years. This is because at the time of the crucifixion of the Lord Christ, he was a young man of about twenty years of age, that is, approximately 13 years younger than the age of the Lord according to the flesh.

If he wrote the Gospel at least about seven years before his martyrdom, and perhaps much more than that.

The historical truth, therefore, is that his age at the time of writing the Gospel did not exceed 48 years, and perhaps it was much less than that, or slightly less. Hence, this image contradicts what history says.

An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine – Fifth Year – Issue Five – 5 October 1974

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