The four canonical gospels were written much later—Mark in the late 60s, Matthew and Luke in the 80s and 90s, and John c. 100, all four deeply affected by the Jewish War (66–73 CE) that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. Living in one of the most violent periods of Jewish history, so terrible that it seemed like the End of Days, the evangelists struggled to make sense of the hideous death toll, the massive devastation, and the widespread suffering and bereavement.
