I'm still working on the Hebrew bible for my book but looking ahead most of my research had fallen into place as I take month off from research., When it come to the NT most people accept what is commonly called Markian priority.
This common theory says that Mark was written in 70 AD and then a saying gospel of Jesus called Q was combined with this to make Matthew and Luke sometimes around 100 AD. John as later. I call this.... BS
Around 120 -140 AD a theology went around a man named Marcion that preache3ed a gospel of Gnosticism. Simply put his gospel was quite cool and better then the one JWs or Fundamental Christians believe.
There was a high supreme God. From him (Or her if she is Sophia) proceeded many demigods one of which was YHWH. He made the world and yeah.. it's f***ed up. But that because he's a secondary god. And the OT was true.
Marcion said Jesus was a being who popped into existence (Like the Gospel of John) and preached a very Gnostic message and then died to return to the high god thus opening up the knowledge for us to attain salvation. But what would the Marcionite group follow for a canon of scripture.
Well Maricon claimed he 'found' Galatians.Uh... ok. He wrote it. Fine, His canon was:
Gospel of the Lord (A proto- Luke) and the following ten letters of the so-called Paul:
- Galatians
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Romans
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- Laodiceans (Ephesians)
- Colossians
- Philippians
- Philemon
All of these were shorted then today's version and of course had different authors such as 2 Thess and others in the community,
The problem was in 136 AD a revolt by Jews in Jerusalem over a temple built ti Jupiter lead to a famous revolt by the Jews.
Where as Marcion's gospel describes the temple destruction of 70 CE the Gospel of Mark takes the basic items of the former gospel (Judaizes it) and makes it fast, apocalyptical and adds a feature in Mark 13. (The abnodation of desolation from the book of Daniel) Thus Mark dates not from 70 but 136.
Matthew uses Mark and Marcion but changes the order to make Jesus the Jewish messiah,.This is very anti Marcionite gospel. likely from the 140s and Justin Martyr knows of it in 160.
So what about Luke or Acts? Well that's so easy and obvious it is mind-boggling no one saw it. Luke starts with:
...it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus.. Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
'Most excellent Theophilus'? ... Like the bishop Theophilus in 170-185ad or so. The ame guy that wanted a history of Christianity written. // Oh yeah he got it.
Yes the Synoptic Gospels are second century by this model and every other model I tried failed quickly. John predates Marcion but it's a Logos cult that produced it. John likely is around 100 or so.