The shortest gospel in the New Testament is the Gospel according to Mark. It is the second of the four New Testament Gospels and is attributed to St. Mark the Evangelist, an associate of St. Paul and a disciple of St. Peter. The Gospel of Mark has only 16 chapters and is one of the three so-called synoptic gospels, along with Matthew and Luke. It is the earliest of the four Gospels, presumably written during the decade preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Although it is the shortest Gospel, it often tells of Jesus’ ministry in more detail than either Matthew or Luke.