Mark did not date his Gospel, so scholars estimate rather than know for sure when he wrote it.

Short answer

Most modern scholars think Mark wrote his Gospel around the year 70 AD, likely in connection with or soon after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. A minority argue for an earlier date in the 50s or 60s AD, while some Christian study sources place it between about 64–70 AD.

Why 70 AD is the common date

Many academic introductions say Mark was probably the first written Gospel and date it “around 70 CE.” This is because:

  • The Gospel seems to allude to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, which happened in 70 AD.
  • Its style and content fit a community living through persecution and crisis, which matches that period.
  • Matthew and Luke appear to use Mark as a source, so Mark must be earlier than their Gospels, usually dated after 70 AD.

So, for mainstream New Testament scholarship, “around 70 AD” is the standard classroom answer.

Earlier-date views (50s–60s AD)

Some scholars and Christian writers argue Mark was written earlier, in the 50s or 60s:

  • One line of reasoning: Luke and Acts appear to end before Paul’s death (around 67 AD), suggesting Luke–Acts was written earlier.
  • Because Luke likely used Mark, Mark would then have to be earlier still, pushing it into the 50s or early 60s.
  • Some Catholic and evangelical writers therefore suggest Mark could have been written in the mid‑50s (for example, around 55 AD) or at least before 67 AD.

These arguments often stress how close Mark would then be to the eyewitness generation of the apostles.

Church-tradition-based dating (64–70 AD)

Some study manuals and church sources combine early tradition with historical events and land on a window rather than a single year:

  • Early Christian writers said Mark wrote down Peter’s preaching after Peter’s death in Rome.
  • Peter is usually thought to have been martyred around 64 AD.
  • On that basis, some guides say Mark likely wrote his Gospel in Rome between 64 and 70 AD, shortly after Peter’s martyrdom.

This view keeps Mark close to Peter and links the Gospel to the aftermath of persecution under Nero.

Pulling it together

If you imagine a timeline, it looks like this:

  • Possible range argued in modern literature: roughly 50s–early 70s AD.
  • Most secular/academic scholars: “around 70 AD.”
  • Many Christian scholars: sometime in the 50s–60s, with popular proposals from about 55–68 AD.
  • Some official study materials: “between AD 64 and 70,” perhaps soon after Peter’s death.

So, the best concise answer is: Mark probably wrote his Gospel in the late first century, most often dated around 70 AD, though many Christian scholars push for an earlier date in the 50s or 60s. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.