Sandwich technique in the Gospel of Mark

Abstract

Intercalations are found in the Gospel of Mark. They are graphically described by the following scheme: A - B - A’. Mark’s convention consists of the break off narration (pericope A) through insertion of another one (B) and placing it inside. Such a technique is called intercalation, interpolation or a sandwich technique. The use of intercalation is somehow intended. The purpose of this article is to indicate a problem of criteria that will allow to select the texts of intercalations precisely. The analysis of the criteria and the features of intercalations corroborates the use of sandwich technique by Mark in the six commonly accepted by the biblical scholars conjoined narratives: 3:20-35; 5:21-43;6:6b-31; 11:12-25; 14:1-11; 14:53-72 and also in case of the juxtaposed pericopes from the group of disputable ones: 8:1-21 and 15:40–16:8.