From Anointing to Arrest. Some Observations on the Composition of Mark... 7 Chart 2. Mark 14:1-52: The Number of Syllables in N(arrative) and D(iscourse). N(arrative) D(iscourse) Sum-total Jesus Others Mark 14:1-11 215 135 64 414 12-16 80 115 19 214 17-21 56 105 4 165 22-25 58 85 - 143 | 936 (13 x 72) 26-31 61 85 33 179 32-42 197 184 - 381 43-52 223 56 25 304 | 864 (12 x 72) Mark 14:1-52 890 765 145 1800 s. (25 x 72) Size and Distribution of the Words of Jesus 7. Let us return to Chart 1. It has so many fascinating features that one hardly knows where to begin. 7.1 Among the ten utterances of Jesus without ‘Amen’, listed as (2), (4), (5), (7) and (9) - (14), the items (4), (10), (11) and (12) have one feature in common: the number of syllables they use is a square number. Of these, # (4) combines with # (2) to form another square, and so do # (5) and # (7) - see the next column to the right: 196 (= 14²) and 64 (= 8²).14 Most impressive is the sequence 25, 36, 49 syllables, or 5², 6², 7², that one finds in ## (10), (11) and (12). The phrase γρηγορεῖτε καὶ προσεύχεσθε ... in Mark 14:38, # (12), may be termed an amplificatio of the earlier order ... γρηγορεῖτε, given in Mark 14:34. The increase in both length and urgency of speech, as Jesus speaks and speaks again to his trusted disciples, is quite evident. That it follows a mathematical sequence of 5², 6², 7² syllables is remarkable - and, on close examination, just as evident. About # (10), the 25 (or 5²) syllables of Mark 14:34bc, it should be noted that here the phrasing of Jesus’ words clearly follows the aliquot part of five syllables: 14 An early parallel: in Wisdom 8:2-21c, 8:21d-12:1 the number of verbal forms is 64 + 196 = 260.