RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HISTORY 

 OF THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE SECOND GOSPEL 



The Gospel according to Mark at one time circulated in an abbre- 

 viated form, without conclusion, breaking off abruptly with £©o(3o!jvto 

 yap at the close of the eighth verse. This form was widely distriljuted, 

 as is proved : 



a) By N, B, Ss, Armcodd^ Ethcodd. 



b) By signs, breaks, or notes in various MSS which indicate that 

 the scribes understood the Gospel, in some sense, to close with v. 8. 



c) By the testimony of Eusebius, Jerome, Victor of Antioch, etc. 



d) By the omission of the last twelve verses in the Eusebian Canons 

 and the Ammonian Sections. 



Was the Gospel left unfinished by its author, or was the conclusion 

 lost by accident, or was it purposely excised ? 



Probably the abbreviated form of the Gospel is not due to the 

 author since the narrative breaks off not at the end of a paragraph, 

 or even of a sentence, but in the midst of a clause ; for we read Mark 

 16 : 8 thus ; "And they went out and fled from the tomb ; for trem- 

 bling and astonishment had come upon them: and they said nothing 

 to any one ; for they were afraid of — " 



In support of this interpretation may be urged the absence of other 

 instances in the N.T. of a sentence ending with yap ; and the unusual 

 use of s(po(3o!JTO in an absolute sense, required by any other trans- 

 lation. Where the phrase £cpo|3o(JVTO yap is employed elsewhere in 

 the N.T. it is associated with some person or circumstance which is 

 the cause or the object of the fear. Compare the following instances : 



Mark 11:18 i<^o^owxo yap auTOv, 

 Mark 11:32 loopouvTO tov o/Vjv, 

 Acts 5 : 26 s'popoOvTO yap tov Xaov, 

 Luke 22:2 s^opoDvio yap tov laov, 

 Luke 19 : 21 scpo[3o'J[j>Yiv yap <7£, 

 2 Cor. 12:20 cpopoUp.ai yap p^ tuo)? sXOwv, 



Did they fear a person or a circumstance, for both are used with 

 this expression, as the above examples show ? Burkitt suggests that 

 they were afraid of the Jews. We suggest that they were afraid of 

 not being beheved by the others if they told their story. The original 

 sentence may have read somewhat as foUows, "they feared lest they 



