Gospels dates

It looks like you meant “when were the four synoptic Gospels written?”—though technically only three are “synoptic.” Scholars group Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, and Gospel of Luke as the Synoptic Gospels because they share a similar structure and content. Gospel of John is usually treated separately.

Here’s the consensus range among modern scholars:

Gospel of Mark — around 65–75 CE

Most scholars think Mark was written first, likely around the time of the First Jewish–Roman War and the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Its tone reflects crisis and persecution.

Gospel of Matthew — around 80–90 CE

Matthew appears to use Mark as a source and reflects a later stage of the early Christian movement, when followers of Jesus were increasingly separated from mainstream Judaism.

Gospel of Luke — around 80–90 CE (sometimes into the early 90s)

Luke is usually dated similarly to Matthew. It’s part of a two-volume work with Acts and shows signs of a more developed, organized Christian community.

Gospel of John — around 90–110 CE

John is typically dated later because of its more developed theology and differences from the synoptics.

Big picture:

• Mark → first (mid-to-late 60s or early 70s)
• Matthew & Luke → a decade or two later
• John → last, near the end of the 1st century

There are minority views that date some Gospels earlier or later, but this timeline is the broad scholarly consensus today.

If you want, I can explain why scholars date them this way—it’s based on clues inside the texts, historical events, and how the Gospels seem to depend on each other.