Table Of Content169 YIL SONG
This book pays special attention to the hermeneutical location where the fi g-
tree story appears in Mark 11; it is situated between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem S
o
and his “Temple incident” in Mark 11. The fi g-tree story plays a pivotal role in n
g
understanding the stories immediatlely preceding and following it. It reverses The Pivotal Role of the
the mode of Jesus’ entry from being triumphal to untriumphal, and convinc-
G T
es the fi rst Markan readers to feel at ease in confronting Jesus’ outrage in the
h
o
Temple. The way in which Jesus entered Jerusalem contradicts the common de- e
s
scription of the entry as a triumphant one. Additionally, the story fi nds a proper p P Fig-Tree Story in the
e i
solution to the problem of Jesus’ actions in the Temple being shockingly in con- l v
o o
trast to his overall character as revealed through the Markan Gospel.
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l Gospel of Mark 11
a R
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Yil Song is Professor of New Testament at Bethesda University, Anaheim, CA. k l
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He received his Ph.D. in Religion (New Testament) from Claremont Graduate 1
1 o
University, Claremont, CA. He currently serves as lead pastor at Shepherd f
t
Christian Church in Cypress, CA. h
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studies in biblical literature | 169
Cover image: © istockphoto.com/joangomez
169 YIL SONG
This book pays special attention to the hermeneutical location where the fi g-
tree story appears in Mark 11; it is situated between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem S
o
and his “Temple incident” in Mark 11. The fi g-tree story plays a pivotal role in n
g
understanding the stories immediatlely preceding and following it. It reverses The Pivotal Role of the
the mode of Jesus’ entry from being triumphal to untriumphal, and convinc-
G T
es the fi rst Markan readers to feel at ease in confronting Jesus’ outrage in the
h
o
Temple. The way in which Jesus entered Jerusalem contradicts the common de- e
s
scription of the entry as a triumphant one. Additionally, the story fi nds a proper p P Fig-Tree Story in the
e i
solution to the problem of Jesus’ actions in the Temple being shockingly in con- l v
o o
trast to his overall character as revealed through the Markan Gospel.
f t
a
M
l Gospel of Mark 11
a R
r o
Yil Song is Professor of New Testament at Bethesda University, Anaheim, CA. k l
e
He received his Ph.D. in Religion (New Testament) from Claremont Graduate 1
1 o
University, Claremont, CA. He currently serves as lead pastor at Shepherd f
t
Christian Church in Cypress, CA. h
e
F
i
g
-
T
r
e
e
S
t
o
r
y
i
n
t
h
e
www.peterlang.com P
E
T
E
R
L
A
N
G
studies in biblical literature | 169
Cover image: © istockphoto.com/joangomez
The Pivotal Role of the
Fig-Tree Story in the
Gospel of Mark 11
Studies in Biblical Literature
Hemchand Gossai
General Editor
Vol. 169
The Studies in Biblical Literature series is part of the Peter Lang Humanities list.
Every volume is peer reviewed and meets
the highest quality standards for content and production.
PETER LANG
New York Bern Berlin
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Yil Song
The Pivotal Role of the
Fig-Tree Story in the
Gospel of Mark 11
PETER LANG
New York Bern Berlin
Brussels Vienna Oxford Warsaw
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Song, Yil, author.
Title: The pivotal role of the fig-tree story in the gospel of Mark 11 / Yil Song.
Description: New York: Peter Lang, 2018.
Series: Studies in biblical literature; vol. 169 | ISSN 1089-0645
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017056658 | ISBN 978-1-4331-4336-6 (hardback: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4331-4337-3 (ebook pdf) | ISBN 978-1-4331-4338-0 (epub)
ISBN 978-1-4331-4339-7 (mobi)
Subjects: LCSH: Barren fig tree (Parable) | Bible. Mark, XI—
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Classification: LCC BT378.B2 S66 2018 | DDC 226.3/06—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017056658
DOI 10.3726/b13250
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.
© 2018 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
www.peterlang.com
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
table of contents
Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
I. Statement of Purpose 1
II. Thesis 2
III. Methodology of Study 2
A. Credibility of Methodology 3
1. Critiques and defense 3
Works Cited 10
Chapter 1. History of Interpretations and Problems 13
I. Triumphal Entry? 13
A. Biblical Reading 14
1. Allusions: The Mount of Olives and an ass 14
2. Citations: “Hosanna and Blessed is the one
who comes in the name of the Lord!” 15
B. Historical Reading 16
1. Not a Triumphal Entry 18
1.1. Counterargument 1: Shortsighted
application of the Hebrew Bible 18
vi the pivotal role of the fig-tree story
1.2. Counterargument 2: Shortsighted
application of Greco-Roman Entry 22
C. Problem Unsolved 23
II. Jesus’ “Vindictive Fury” on the Fig Tree? 25
A. Symbolic Reading 26
B. Problem Unsolved 28
III. The Temple Story: Its Purification 28
A. The Intercalated Temple Story 28
B. Biblical Reading 29
1. Isa 56:7c and Jer 7:11 29
C. Symbolic Reading 33
D. Problem Unsolved 34
IV. Summary 35
Works Cited 44
Chapter 2. The First Markan Readers 49
I. Implied Author and Reader 49
A. Significance of the Markan Gospel as Literature 51
1. The written Gospel in the oral world 51
1.1. Suggested sources for the Gospel of Mark 57
B. Conclusion 64
II. The Markan Community: Readers and Audience 65
A. The Time of Existence 66
1. Pre 70 C.E. 67
1.1. Adela Y. Collins 67
1.2. John S. Kloppenborg 68
2. Post 70 C.E. 69
2.1. S. G. F. Brandon 69
2.2. Werner Kelber 70
2.3. Gerd Theissen 71
2.4. Brian Incigneri 72
B. Conclusion 72
III. The Provenance 72
A. Rome 73
1. Evidence 1: Latinism 73
1.1. Insufficiency of evidence 1 74
2. Evidence 2: Topographical errors 76
2.1. Insufficiency of Evidence 2 76
table of contents vii
3. Evidence 3: Jewish customs and
Aramaic words 79
3.1. Insufficiency of evidence 3 80
4. Evidence 4: Persecution of Mark 13:9–13 81
4.1. Insufficiency of evidence 4 81
5. Conclusion 83
B. Syria 83
1. Evidence 1: Palestinian-Syrian village lifestyle 84
1.1. Agriculture 84
1.2. Housing 85
1.3. Land-Ownership 85
2. Evidence 2: Mark 7:31 86
3. Evidence 3: Semitic expression Graecized 86
4. Critique of evidence of Syria 86
C. Galilee 87
1. Evidence 1: Interests in Galilee 88
1.1. Critique of evidence 1 88
2. Evidence 2: Exact geographical description
of Galilean vicinities 88
2.1. Critique of evidence 2 89
D. Syria or Galilee? 90
E. Conclusion 91
IV. The Readership of the Gospel 91
A. For all Christians? 92
B. Critique of Richard Bauckham’s Hypothesis 95
1. Joel Marcus 95
2. David Sim 97
3. Philip F. Esler 98
4. Margaret Mitchell 102
5. Ernest Van Eck 104
C. Conclusion 105
Works Cited 122
Chapter 3. Homeric Influence on The Greco-Roman World 127
I. Greco-Roman Education 128
A. Enkyklios Paideia 128
B. Use of Homeric Texts 132
II. Conclusion 141
Works Cited 146
viii the pivotal role of the fig-tree story
Chapter 4. Two-Fold Roles of The Fig-Tree Story 149
I. The First Role 149
A. Analysis of Mark 11:1–14 150
1. The English translation 150
2. Structure of the passage 152
B. Mimetic Reading of Jesus’ Entry 152
C. Justifying Jesus’ Act 156
D. The Fig-Tree Story and Jesus’
Untriumphal Entry 157
E. The Untriumphal Messiah 158
F. Summary 159
II. The Second Role 161
A. Analysis of Mark 11:12–20 161
1. The English translation 161
2. The structure 162
B. Understanding Jesus’ Act 162
1. Interpretation 1: The fig-tree story
(11:12–14, 20) 163
1.1. Symbolic Fig Free: The Temple 163
1.2. Jesus, the Messiah with God’s authority 165
2. Interpretation 2: The Temple story
(11:15–19) 165
2.1. Defensible violence of Jesus 165
2.2. Actual target of Jesus’ violence 168
C. Significance of Mimetic Reading 169
III. Summary 171
Works Cited 174
Conclusion 175
Index 179
