The Abomination of Desolation in the Gospel of Mark

The Abomination of Desolation in the Gospel of Mark argues that the appearance of the Abomination of Desolation is the trigger launching the end time for Mark's community which resulted in the construction of the gospel and set in motion the imminent coming of the Son of Man. The author clarifies the claim that the event lying behind this phrase is the destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Roman commander Titus in 70 C.E. The main point of the book establishes in an unprecedented manner that verse 14, along with verse 26 constitutes the dual focus of Mark 13, and that Titus is the historical referent in verse 14, based on the last twenty-five years of Markan research. This conclusion arises from the demonstration that the possibility of flight in Judaea after September 70 C.E. exists, and provided a rationale for Mark's expectations of that period. The author points out that Mark connected Titus' act with Jerusalem's destruction and Jesus' execution in the same place, by the same political power, and endowed with theological significance. Therefore, a model of the past based on an event in Jerusalem provides an efficacious parallel for Mark's eschatology.