Did Somebody Mention 'Chinese Whispers'?

 

Imagine this scene in Judea or Anatolia or Alexandria:

 ‘Hey! Have you heard about this guy in Galilee? Jesus?

Man, loads of great stories about this dude. Got a minute?

He walked on water! No kidding. I know a guy who knows a guy who knew a guy that said he knew a guy who saw him do it. My cousin told me about it and my cousin wouldn’t lie about it. Very trustworthy dude; not too bright but he wouldn’t lie to me about this. 

Walked on water during a big storm on the Sea of Galilee. This guy, Jeshua ben Josef  I guess is his real name – a Jewish fella – palled around with fishermen, apparently. Anyway, aint that something?

Walked on water!

And he turned water into wine! Man, if I could do that, I could make a fortune!  I could stop being a tanner for one thing. Set up shop. Turn water into wine and make a fortune. 

So, anyway this Jesus guy; he went to a wedding and turned water into wine! Pretty cool, right?

No, he wasn’t just a magician. He did all kinds of magic stuff but…

Like I heard tell that he fed thousands of people with a just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish! He multiplied that little bit and fed a multitude. That’s what I heard. No kidding!

But he never charged anyone. Man, I’d make a bundle but this guy, Jesus, did it to show he was special. Son of god or something.

But wait – one more – he came back from the dead! After being crucified, he came back from the dead. I shit you not! That’s what my cousin told me! Came back from the dead.

Okay. So that’s a bridge too far for you? Too much? My cousin swears by it, though. If you knew my cousin, you’d know he wouldn’t lie to me about such stuff. Really.

When was this? About 40 years ago or so, I guess.’

Now, imagine this scene being played out many times. Hear-say, gossip, tall tales all told with a level of fervency that would dispel doubt. 

Now, imagine that the stories are told in variations with embellishments and hyperbole to increase the effect of the stories upon the listener much as rumor and gossip is altered for effect. Now, imagine all this being done in various languages with colloquial nuance, asides and references. 

That might be what the first Gospel writer (whoever they were) might have used as the basis for ‘Mark’.