Can you explain your idea about \u201cprotected anonymity\u201d\u009d\u201d\u201d that it would have been extremely dangerous for some of the witnesses to have been named?<\/b><\/p>\n
Yes: one very interesting example is the woman who anointed Jesus. She is anonymous in Mark and Matthew, but she is named in John as Mary, the sister of Martha. It is very odd, be\u00c2\u00adcause Mark does not name her, but he says: \u201cThis story will be told about her in all the world when the gospel is preached.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
It is very strange to say that about someone whose name does not appear. But then, if you think about it, she was anointing Jesus as the Messiah, which would have been a very dangerous thing to have been known for at that time. So Mark does not name her. When John is writing a few decades later, however, the whole situation has changed; so he can name her.<\/p>\n