rgprice wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:09 am
3 Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?”
What is the point of these names? They are never used again in the story. These aren't historical figures. They make no impact on the narrative. They are completely unnecessary. Their function seems to be entirely doctrinal.
Me again on this one, elaborating the same theme I've been proposing from the start.
If we think of this section of Mark's narrative in the same way we read about the rabbis discussing their interpretations of odd points in Jewish Scriptures ...
They ask one another, "Why does the Scripture say this? or That? What was the reason?" and then one of the sages gives some "midrashic" reason to explain some odd detail that other readers like us would think is inconsequential.
Now if that was the sort of thinking among the authors of the gospels -- I have been arguing that it was indeed something like that -- then by mentioning names out of the blue in this episode is meant to invite readers to do just what we are doing: ask ourselves, Why these names? The evidence for that proposal is, as you say, that the names appear out of the blue and have no other narrative function.
We can suggest that Mark is drawing on oral tradition, but then we have to ask why the same oral tradition doesn't say a bit more about those names and why we don't find a little more about them in the narrative.
So like a rabbi I ask myself, Why those names? I read the context again: it is about prophets in the family who are not accepted by their kin. Think and consult the Scriptures.....
Mary/Miriam was a prophetess who led the daughters of Israel in prophetic songs. The unit is enclosed, in good ancient style, by Mary and the sisters.
Then we have two couplets in the middle: Jacob and Joseph are listed together. They are both in the Genesis account depicted as prophesying. They are also both rejected by their brethren. Jacob flees Esau, Joseph we know very well.
Then comes the other couplet, Judah and Simeon. Judah (proleptic of the Judas in the same gospel) plans to sell Joseph for money. He is jealous of Joseph the dreamer so tries to sell him off. Simeon closes the list and is accordingly bracketed with Jacob. On his death bed Jacob reminds everyone how Simeon made his name "stink" in the community where he lived. Simeon forced Jacob to leave his camp in shame and humiliation and disgrace.
Simeon in Genesis is coupled with Levi but to add Levi would spoil the pattern and rabbis were not particularly worried about cutting corners like that to make their explanations sound "true".
Now all of the above could well have nothing more secure to justify it than my own imagination. I have no independent evidence to suggest that that that was in the mind of the author.
My point is that it is possible to draw from the Jewish Scriptures explanations that further the doctrinal message of that little pericope. The names listed, along with their bracketing Mary and sisters, remind one -- at least they have the potential to remind one -- of the prophetic tradition of Israel and the disasters that accompanied that tradition.
I think there are other characters in Mark who can be interpreted by a similar process with a similar effect.