Editing Gospel of Mark (section)

===The charge of magic===
Mark contains twenty accounts of miracles and healings, accounting for almost a third of the gospel and half of the first ten chapters, more, proportionally, than in any other gospel.{{sfn|Twelftree|1999|p=57}} In the gospels as a whole, Jesus' miracles, prophecies, etc., are presented as evidence of God's rule, but Mark's descriptions of Jesus' healings are a partial exception to this, as his methods, using spittle to heal blindness<ref>''Bible'' {{bibleverse|Mark|8:22–26}}</ref> and words or phrases that act like magic formulae,<ref>"Talitha cumi," {{bibleverse-nb|Mark|5:41}}, "Ephphatha," {{bibleverse-nb|Mark|7:34}}</ref> were those of a magician.{{sfn|Kee|1993|p=483}}{{sfn|Powell|1998|p=57}} The charge the Jewish religious leaders bring against Jesus is based upon this similarity: they say he is performing exorcisms with the aid of an evil spirit<ref>''Bible'' {{bibleverse|Mark|3:22}}</ref> and calling up the spirit of John the Baptist.<ref>''Bible'' {{bibleverse|Mark|6:14}}</ref>{{sfn|Kee|1993|p=483}} "There was&nbsp;[...] no period in the history of the [Roman] empire in which the magician was not considered an enemy of society," subject to penalties ranging from exile to death, says Classical scholar Ramsay MacMullen.{{sfn|Welch|2006|p=362}} All the gospels defend Jesus against this charge, which, if true, would contradict their ultimate claims for him. The point of the [[Beelzebub]] incident in Mark<ref>''Bible'' {{bibleverse|Mark|3:20–30}}</ref> is to set forth Jesus' claims to be an instrument of God, not Satan.{{sfn|Aune|1987|p=56}}