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The '''Gospel of Mark''' is a simple, easy-to-understand account of the teachings, miracles and Passion of Jesus.  This Gospel emphasizes how suffering and loss enhances one's [[faith]] and [[salvation]].<ref>''See, e.g.'', Mark 8:35.</ref>  This Gospel was written by [[Mark]], who probably saw the events as an impressionable, open-minded young boy, who subsequently was the first to publish his eyewitness account.  Reportedly Mark became an apostle of Peter and a missionary companion of Paul, and ultimately founded [[Christianity]] in [[Egypt]].

The '''Gospel of Mark''' is a simple, easy-to-understand account of the teachings, miracles and Passion of Jesus.  This Gospel emphasizes how suffering and loss enhances one's [[faith]] and [[salvation]].<ref>''See, e.g.'', Mark 8:35.</ref>  This Gospel was written by [[Mark]], who probably saw the events as an impressionable, open-minded young boy, who subsequently was the first to publish his eyewitness account.  Reportedly Mark became an apostle of Peter and a missionary companion of Paul, and ultimately founded [[Christianity]] in [[Egypt]].

Scientific testing confirmed that a recently discovered transcript from the Gospel of Mark dates from before A.D. 90, when Mark may have still been living.<ref>https://earliestchristianity.wordpress.com/category/textual-criticism/</ref>  Indeed, the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark (and the Gospel of Matthew) are estimated to be from A.D. 60s.<ref name="McCall">http://www.levitt.com/essays/language</ref>  Those oldest manuscripts are in Greek, and no ancient manuscript of the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of Matthew has ever been discovered in [[Aramaic]].<ref name="McCall"/>

Scientific testing confirmed that a recently discovered transcript from the Gospel of Mark dates from before A.D. 90, when Mark may have still been living.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150325223910/https://earliestchristianity.wordpress.com/category/textual-criticism/ First-Century Mark Manuscript: More News?] (web.archive.org)</ref>  Indeed, the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark (and the Gospel of Matthew) are estimated to be from A.D. 60s.<ref name="McCall">http://www.levitt.com/essays/language</ref>  Those oldest manuscripts are in Greek, and no ancient manuscript of the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of Matthew has ever been discovered in [[Aramaic]].<ref name="McCall"/>

There are several indications that this Gospel was written by a very young eyewitness.  Unlike the [[Gospel of Matthew]] and the [[Gospel of Luke]], the Gospel of Mark has very few economic parables that mean more to adults than to children.  The accounts that Mark does include are those making a bigger impression on a child, such as the multiplication of the loaves (which Mark references ''twice'').  Mark's mother was a follower of Jesus, and Mark's account of the Resurrection was based on the account of the women disciples.

There are several indications that this Gospel was written by a very young eyewitness.  Unlike the [[Gospel of Matthew]] and the [[Gospel of Luke]], the Gospel of Mark has very few economic parables that mean more to adults than to children.  The accounts that Mark does include are those making a bigger impression on a child, such as the multiplication of the loaves (which Mark references ''twice'').  Mark's mother was a follower of Jesus, and Mark's account of the Resurrection was based on the account of the women disciples.