They did not know (Lk 20:7-20:7)

“Thus,

They answered

That they did not know

Where it came from.”

 

καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν μὴ εἰδέναι πόθεν.

 

Luke indicated that the Jewish Jerusalem religious leaders answered (καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν) that they did not know where (μὴ εἰδέναι πόθεν) the baptism of John the Baptist came from.  This same response to Jesus can be found in Matthew, chapter 21:27, and Mark, chapter 11:33, almost word for word to each other.  Mark said that the chief priests, the Scribes, and the elders responded to Jesus (καὶ ἀποκριθέντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ).  They said that they did not know (λέγουσιν Οὐκ οἴδαμεν) the value, origins, or power of the baptism of John the Baptist.  Matthew said that the chief priests and elders responded to Jesus (καὶ ἀποκριθέντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἶπαν) that they did not know (Οὐκ οἴδαμεν) the origins or power of the baptism of John the Baptist.  This non-response was better than an aggravating response.  Have you ever pleaded ignorance when you were too embarrassed to answer a question?

We do not know (Mk 11:33-11:33)

“Thus,

They answered Jesus.

‘We do not know.’

Jesus said to them.

‘Neither will I tell you

By what authority

I am doing

These things.’”

 

καὶ ἀποκριθέντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγουσιν Οὐκ οἴδαμεν. καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ.

 

This response of Jesus can be found in Matthew, chapter 21:27, and Luke, chapter 20:7-8, almost word for word.  Mark said that the chief priests, the Scribes, and the elders responded to Jesus (καὶ ἀποκριθέντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ).  They said that they did not know (λέγουσιν Οὐκ οἴδαμεν) the value, origins, or power of the baptism of John the Baptist.  Jesus then told them (καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς) that he would not tell them by what authority he was doing these things (Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ).  Jesus had made his point.

The Hebrew Bible

In fact, we are under the illusion that there is only one inspired Bible, when there were many versions of the inspired Bible with various interpretations.  First of all, there is the Hebrew inspired canonical Bible, the Tanakh, with the 10th century CE Hebrew Masoretic text that has its origins millenniums earlier.  The earliest known collection of these Hebrew writings was in the 2nd century BCE.  This Hebrew text had 24 books, the 5 books of the Torah, 4 books of the early prophets with 15 books of the later prophets.  The other writings were in dispute as to their canonicity.