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The Gospel of Mark[a] is the second of the four canonical Gospels and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells of the ministry of Jesus from his baptism by John the Baptist to his death, the burial of his body, and the discovery of his empty tomb. It portrays Jesus as a teacher, an exorcist, a healer, and a miracle worker, though it does not mention a miraculous birth or divine pre-existence.[3] Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. He is called the Son of God but keeps his messianic nature secret; even his disciples fail to understand him.[4] All this is in keeping with the Christian interpretation of prophecy, which is believed to foretell the fate of the messiah as suffering servant.[5]
An early church tradition, deriving from Papias of Hierapolis (c.60–c.130 AD),[6] regards the Gospel as based on the preaching of Saint Peter, and written down by John Mark, who is named in the Acts of the Apostles as a companion of Saint Peter.[7][8][9] Most critical scholars reject this tradition, and it is generally agreed that it was written anonymously for a gentile audience, probably in Rome, sometime shortly before or after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD.[10][b]
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