Redating of Mark, Matthewand the “Little Apocalypse” of the Didaje

Abstract

Traditionally, Mark is dated around 70 A.D., Matthew around 80 A.D. and Didache around 100 A.D. Recent reserches have suggested that, really, Matthew is the one who depends on Didache. In this paper, it is analysed the litterary dependences between the “Little Apocalypses” of Mark, Matthew and Didache. Also, it is studied the litterary re­lationships bettween Mark and the description of Judaea in the Pliny’s Natural History. These evidences, beside a number of old arguments retested, delay a decade the date of Mark and, consequently, the date of Matthew, while Didache, at least in its earliest strata of composition, is raised as one of the oldest Jewishchristian texts.