6 - The Execution

Summary

In the account of the last scenes (xix. 17–37) there is a certain general similarity of structure between John and Mark (who is followed closely by Matthew), in so far as both concentrate principally on two moments, the actual crucifixion with its immediate accompaniments, and the death of the Crucified (filling the interval differently), and both append significant sequels. Beyond this there is little resemblance.

Verbal agreement does not go beyond the minimum without which the story could hardly be told at all, except where the words common to both, διαμερίзεσθαι, τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, βάλλειν κλῆρον, ὄξος, come out of Old Testament passages employed as testimonia. Beside these there are Γολγοθᾶ, κρανίου τόπος, δύο (λῃσταί in Mark, κακοῦργοι in Luke, unqualified in John), σταυροῦν, (ἐπι)γράϕειν (of the inscription on the cross), σπόγγος, περιθεῖναι–and no more. Even in the few verses where the two accounts run closely parallel the verbal form is different. Thus, where Mark has ἐπὶ τὸν Γολγοθᾶν τόπον ὅ έστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον κρανίου τόπος, John has εἰς τὸν λεγόμενον Κρανίου τόπον ὅ λέγεται Ἐβραïστὸ Γολγοθᾶ. For Mark's ἐπιγραϕή he gives τίτλος, representing the regular Latin titulus. Where Mark says of the two λῃσταί that they crucified ἔνα ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἔνα ἐξ εὐωνύμων αὐτοῦ, John expresses exactly the same fact in the words, ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μέσον δὲ τὸν ʾ|ησοῦν.