The Chiasm in the Crucifixion: Some Surprising Discoveries

I went back and redid the chiasm in Mark 15:21-41. First I found that my original construction was incorrect because it did not include Mark 15:40-41. I have also discovered that, most likely, a verse has gone AWOL in Mark. See discussion below.



First, the text-critical issues. It is clear that no verse now opposes 15:39. There are several possible solutions.

(1) 15:39 is interpolated, most likely back-interpolated from Matthew

(2) The B bracket is missing.

(3) A balancing verse has been removed, but is still preserved in Matthew.

I believe that the correct answer is (3). The C bracket currently has three elements:

A: And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it.
B: And they crucified him,
C: and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take

In Matthew there is a verse following this sequence:

[then they sat down and kept watch over him there.] (Mt 27:36)

That neatly opposes the centurion's declaration in 15:39. By adding that to the C bracket (and waving good-bye to the B bracket), we now get:

A: And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it.
B: And they crucified him,
C: and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take
D: then they sat down and kept watch over him there.

This beautifully parallels the C' bracket in this scene with 15:39 added:

A: And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "Behold, he is calling Eli'jah."And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Eli'jah will come to take him down."
B: and Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last.
C:And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
D: And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that he thus breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

My personal conclusion is that a verse is missing in Mark, and should be restored. The reader is invited to take their pick of (1), (2), or (3).

The A brackets also neatly parallel each other:

A: And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyre'ne.... the father of Alexander and Rufus,
A': There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salo'me,

A: who was coming in from the country,
A': when he was in Galilee,

A: to carry his cross.
A': followed him, and ministered to him;

A: And they brought him to the place called Gol'gotha (which means the place of a skull).
A': and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

In this final bracket a Markan theme is exhibited -- a mountain (Golgotha) opposes Jerusalem.

This provides, I think, strong evidence that both ends of this chiasm are literary creations. At least one set of these people, and probably both, never existed. Certainly the events did not occur as depicted.

Note also how there is a mother of two sons, just as Simon is the father of two sons.