Author: David Sherry

Verse: Matthew 24:1-2 NASB 1995

“24 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

Summary/ TL;DR

Jesus predicts the destruction of the second temple, found in the synoptic gospels, which occurred in 70 AD. From a naturalistic perspective, this would have meant that the writers had prior knowledge of this event. Then using external sources, such as circulation of the gospels and early church writings, we can date the final gospel of John to the end of the first century. This has led to the modern general consensus of a dating window to 65-95 AD.

Introduction

The New Testament didn’t include a date of when the books and letters were composed, so we’ve been left to either trust they’re early, or investigate further. There is a modern dating window, which we’ll focus on in this discussion, and a traditional dating window, dating earlier. Regardless of which dating consensus is used, it’s worth noting that, by historical standards, documentation written this close to the events is exceptionally valuable. Therefore, using internal and external evidence paired with historical benchmarks, we can begin to unravel this mystery. So what can we use to determine when the Gospels were written?

1. manuscript fragments, < 150
2. external attestation, 100 – 130 AD
3. internal evidence, ~70 AD

Body

Manuscript Fragments, 100 – 150 AD

Manuscripts are ancient handwritten documents that were written on ancient “paper”, such as papyrus. Papyrus derived from the papyrus plant, which in return, would degrade in quality over time. Our oldest known manuscripts discovered closest to the time of Jesus are found in fragmentary form, which are just partial pieces of the manuscript. Through the study of palaeography, which is the study and analysis of ancient writings, we can actually give an approximation when these documents were written. Here are a few of the earliest manuscripts discovered:

1. Papyrus 52,
   • Dating: 125 (100-150) AD
   • Discovered: Egypt
   • Content: Gospel of John, 18:31-33, 37-38
2. Papyrus 90,
   • Dating: 150 (100-200) AD
   • Discovered: Egypt
   • Content: Gospel of John, 18:36-19:7
3. Papyrus 104
   • Dating: 150 (100-200) AD
   • Discovered: Egypt
   • Content: Gospel of Matthew, 21:34-37

Using these examples, this informs us that the Gospels of Matthew and John were already written and circulating into Egypt by the second century. Therefore, if John was circulating into Egypt by ~125 AD, we can assume John was written years before, potentially into the first century off this evidence alone.

Early Church Writings, 96 – 130 AD

Narrowing the later-window-limit to an earlier date, we can refer to the early church. The early church fathers, when writing their books/ letters, would frequently spread teachings passed down onto them, or quoted directly from scripture. In fact, Origen, writing in the third century, quoted from John so extensively that we can almost rebuild a complete copy of his Gospel. However, during this topic, Origen is too late, so we’ll use earlier sources, being:

Papias of Hierapolis, (60 AD? – 130AD)

Written around 110-130 AD

• “…Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order… So then Matthew wrote the oracles/ sayings (logia) in the Hebrew language, and every one interpreted them as he was able…”
  • Preserved by Eusebius, in Ecclesiastical History, Book 3, Ch.39

Ignatius of Antioch, (35? – 110 AD)

Wrote his letters between (107-110 AD)?

• “Every kind of wound is not healed with the same plaster. Mitigate violent attacks [of disease] by gentle applications. Be in all things “wise as a serpent, and harmless as a dove.“”
  • Letter to Polycarp, Chapter 2 
    • Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
      • Matthew 10:16 (KJV)
• “… yet the Spirit, as being from God, is not deceived. For it knows both whence it comes and whither it goes”
  • Letter to the Philadelphians, Chapter 7
    • The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
      • John 3:8 (KJV)

Clement of Rome, (35? – 99 AD martyred)

Wrote 1 Clement around (95-97 AD)?

• “For thus He spoke: “Be merciful, that you may obtain mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven to you; as you do, so shall it be done to you; as you judge, so shall you be judged; as you are kind, so shall kindness be shown to you; with what measure you measure, with the same it shall be measured to you.”
  • 1 Clement, Chapter 13
    • “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”
      • Matthew 5:7 
    • “For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
      • Matthew 6:14 
    • “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
      • Matthew 7:1 
• “Remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, how He said, “Woe to that man [by whom offences come]! It were better for him that he had never been born, than that he should cast a stumbling-block before one of my elect. Yea, it were better for him that a millstone should be hung about [his neck], and he should be sunk in the depths of the sea, than that he should cast a stumbling-block before one of my little ones.””
  • 1 Clement, Chapter 46
    • “The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
      • Matthew 26:24 
    • “… but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!
      • Matthew 18:6-7

Bonus:

The Didache, or “The Lord’s Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations”

(50 – 120 AD)

The Didache is claimed to be the Apostles teaching, and simply stated, is a church manual. Contained within the text extensively quotes from the Gospel of Matthew, particularly from the Sermon on the Mount. The dating is a little complex, ranging from an early mid-century document, to early second century. Some believe it was written in “layers”, each layer dating to different decades of the century, with the “earlier” layers containing Matthew. Whichever method used to date the Didache, if it was quoting Matthew, it’s another important document showcasing the early dating transmission of the written Gospels.

Below is the Lord’s Prayer, quoted almost word for word, depending on the translation used:

Destruction of the Second Temple, 70 AD

Within the text themselves, there is one key event used to date the Gospels. The destruction of the second temple, which is found in Matthew, Mark and Luke, the synoptic gospels. This is a significant event, as it was one of the most devastating losses the Jews faced against their opposition to Rome. Predating this tragedy was “The First Jewish-Roman War” (66–70/73 CE) which was a revolt between the Jews and the Roman empire. This was a result due to the Jews being subjected to Roman governance, which led to escalating conflicts between both forces. In 70 AD, Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian, led the siege of Jerusalem, where the second temple would succumb to ashes. 

Below are the biblical mentions of Jesus prophesying about the impending state of the second temple:

SYNOPTIC GOSPELS

Matthew 24: 1-2

Signs of Christ’s Return

“Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 But He responded and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.””

Mark 13: 1-2

Things to Come

“As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look! What wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.””

Luke 21: 5-6

The Widow’s Gift

“… 5 And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and vowed gifts, He said, 6 “As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another, which will not be torn down.”” 

Things to Come

“… 20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled. 23 Woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land, and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

Notice in all instances, the destruction of the temple hasn’t actually occurred yet. Jesus is foretelling an event, so from the author’s point of view, they’re describing an event that hasn’t happened. This detail doesn’t necessarily prove that the books were written prior to the destruction, but a literary observation. So how do we know when the temple was destroyed, as mentioned in the gospels? In ancient Judea, lived a Jewish historian named Flavius Josephus who wrote an account of it, dating to the late first century. Josephus was born in the early first century, and served as a Jewish commander during the The First Jewish Revolt, but surrendered to the Romans and eventually became a Roman citizen. Here Josephus records the event in his book, The Jewish Wars:

TITLE: The Jewish Wars, ~75 AD

AUTHOR: Flavius Josephus (37 – 100 AD)

Book 6, Chapter 4, Paragraph 5

“5. So Titus retired into the tower of Antonia; and resolved to storm the temple, the next day, early in the morning, with his whole army: and to encamp round about the holy house. But as for that house, God had, for certain, long ago doomed it to the fire. And now that fatal day was come, according to the revolution of ages: it was the tenth day of the month Lous [Ab, A.D. 70]8: upon which it was formerly burnt by the King of Babylon. Although these flames took their rise from the Jews themselves, and were occasioned by them. For upon Titus’s retiring, the seditious lay still for a little while, and then attacked the Romans again; when those that guarded the holy house fought with those that quenched the fire that was burning the inner [court of the] temple. But these Romans put the Jews to flight; and proceeded as far as the holy house it self. At which time one of the soldiers, without staying for any orders, and without any concern or dread upon him at so great an undertaking; and being hurried on by a certain divine fury, snatched somewhat out of the materials that were on fire: and being lifted up by another soldier, he set fire to a golden window, through which there was a passage to the rooms that were round about the holy house, on the north side of it. As the flames went upward, the Jews made a great clamour, such as so mighty an affliction required; and ran together to prevent it. And now they spared not their lives any longer, nor suffered any thing to restrain their force, since that holy house was perishing, for whose sake it was that they kept such a guard about it.”

Conclusion

This evidence, plus additional evidence and criteria not mentioned, has contributed to most modern day critical scholars dating the Gospels. For instance, the Gospel of Mark to 65-70 AD, Matthew and Luke to 70-85 AD, and John to 90-95 AD. A simplified explanation being, along with other factors, that Mark’s writing has an underdeveloped “Christology” and a persecuted tone. Matthew and Luke follow, both relying on Mark as a source. Finally John is independent to the synoptics, and is believed to be written by the tail end of the first century due to its high Christology. This is the mainstream consensus, whereas the “traditional” or early consensus was earlier, nearing the middle of the century. The next post will explore the earlier dating, and what evidence supports it.

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