91 Mk 1:1 and the Debate on a ‘Markan Prologue’* EVE-MARIE BECKER On the basis of observations to the syntactical structure and the literary style of Mk 1:1-15 as well as to the literary genre of the Markan Gospel, this paper questions those concepts of subdividing Mk 1 according to which Mk 1:1-13/15 is classified as a ‘Markan prologue’. It is argued instead, that already Mk 1:4 opens up the Gospel narration and that only Mk 1:1-3 has to be regarded as a literary unity: Mk 1:1-3, however, is in no case part of a ‘Markan prologue’ or a ‘prologue’ in itself. These verses are rather more to be understood as a prooemium to the overall prose-text of the Gospel narrative, consisting of a ‘Buchüberschrift’/title (1:1) and an opening intro- ductory close (1:2-3). ... Da flammt ein blitzendes Verheeren Dem Pfade vor des Donnerschlags; Doch deine Boten, Herr, verehren Das sanfte Wandeln deines Tags… (J. W. Goethe, Faust I, Prolog im Himmel) 1. The ‘Markan prologue’-concept in recent research During the last ca. 30 years there is a tendency in Markan scholar- ship to look at Mk 1:1-13/15 as a concise literary unity, separated from Mk 1:14/16-16:8, and to define this particular passage as a ‘Markan prologue’1. Rudolf Pesch (1976) is one of the first commentators who stands in this line. He defines Mk 1:1-15 explicitly as a prologue by stating: „Zur Beschreibung des Beginns des Mk-Ev ist seit langem der Begriff ‚Prolog’ eingeführt…“2. Other scholars consider only Mk 1:1-13 * Paper, presented in the “Markan group“ at the SBL-meeting in Boston, November 2008. – Phd-student Erin Wright (Aarhus) has to be thanked for adjusting the English. 1 Cf. D. Dormeyer, Das Markusevangelium (Darmstadt 2005) 149ff. 2 „…; er dient zur Charakterisierung der ersten Stücke des großen Berichts des Evangelis- ten… als der den Fortgang der Darstellung ermöglichenden und bestimmenden Exposition“, R. Pesch, Das Markusevangelium I. Teil. Einleitung und Kommentar zu Kap. 1,1-8,26 (HThK II.1; Freiburg etc. 1976) 71. Filología Neotestamentaria - Vol. XXII - 2009, pp. 91-106 Facultad de Filosofía y Letras - Universidad de Córdoba (España)