Mark the Evangelist

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Infobox saint

Mark the EvangelistTemplate:Efn (Koinē Greek: Μᾶρκος, romanized: Mârkos), also known as John Mark (Koinē Greek: Ἰωάννης Μᾶρκος, romanized: Iōánnēs Mârkos; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ, romanized: Yōḥannān) or Saint Mark, was the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Most modern Bible scholars have concluded that the Gospel of Mark was written by an anonymous author rather than an identifiable historical figure,<ref name=lost/> though the topic remains contentious among experts. According to Church tradition, Mark founded the episcopal see of Alexandria, which was one of the five most important sees of early Christianity. His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and his symbol is the winged lion.<ref name=EECp720>Template:Citation</ref>

IdentityEdit

Template:See also

File:Leone marciano andante - Vittore Carpaccio - Google Cultural Institute.jpg

lang}} ('peace be upon you, Mark, my evangelist'). The same lion is also the symbol of Venice (on illustration).

According to William Lane (1974), an unbroken tradition identifies Mark the Evangelist with John Mark,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and John Mark as the cousin of Barnabas.<ref>Mark: Images of an Apostolic Interpreter p55 C. Clifton Black – 2001 –"... infrequent occurrence in the Septuagint (Num 36:11; Tob 7:2) to its presence in Josephus (JW 1.662; Ant 1.290, 15.250) and Philo (On the Embassy to Gaius 67), anepsios consistently carries the connotation of "cousin", though ..."</ref> However, Hippolytus of Rome, in On the Seventy Apostles, distinguishes Mark the Evangelist (2 Timothy 4:11),<ref name="bibleverse|2 Timothy|4:11">Template:Bibleverse</ref> John Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37),<ref>Template:Bibleverse, Template:Bibleverse, Template:Bibleverse</ref> and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10;<ref name="bibleverse|Colossians|4:10">Template:Bibleverse</ref> Philemon 24).<ref name="bibleverse|Philemon|1:24">Template:Bibleverse</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> According to Hippolytus, they all belonged to the "Seventy Disciples" who were sent out by Jesus to disseminate the gospel (Luke 10:1ff.)<ref name="bibleverse|Luke|10:1">Template:Bibleverse</ref> in Judea.

According to Eusebius of Caesarea,<ref>The Ecclesiastical History 2.9.1–4</ref> Herod Agrippa I, in his first year of reign over the whole of Judea (AD 41), killed James, son of Zebedee and arrested Peter, planning to kill him after the Passover. Peter was saved miraculously by angels, and escaped out of the realm of Herod (Acts 12:1–19).<ref>Template:Bibleverse</ref> Peter went to Antioch, then through Asia Minor (visiting the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, as mentioned in 1 Peter 1:1),<ref>Template:Bibleverse</ref> and arrived in Rome in the second year of Emperor Claudius (AD 42).<ref>The Ecclesiastical History 2.14.6</ref> Somewhere on the way, Peter encountered Mark and took him as travel companion and interpreter. Mark the Evangelist wrote down the sermons of Peter, thus composing the Gospel according to Mark,<ref>The Ecclesiastical History 15–16</ref> before he left for Alexandria in the third year of Claudius (AD 43).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

According to the Acts 15:39,<ref>Template:Bibleverse</ref> Mark went to Cyprus with Barnabas after the Council of Jerusalem.

According to tradition, in AD 49, about 16 years after the Ascension of Jesus, Mark travelled to Alexandria and founded the Church of Alexandria, having already been in Egypt for 4-5 years. The Coptic Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and the Coptic Catholic Church all trace their origins to this original community.<ref name="georgetown1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} See drop-down essay on "Islamic Conquest and the Ottoman Empire"</ref> Aspects of the Coptic liturgy can be traced back to Mark himself.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He became the first bishop of Alexandria and he is honoured as the founder of Christianity in Africa.<ref name=OSVESp401>Template:Cite book</ref>

According to Eusebius,<ref>The Ecclesiastical History 2.24.1</ref> Mark was succeeded by Anianus as the bishop of Alexandria in the eighth year of Nero (62/63), probably, but not definitely, due to his coming death. Later Coptic tradition says that he was martyred in 68.<ref name=cocn/><ref name=macrory>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Bibleverse</ref><ref>Template:Bibleverse</ref><ref name="bibleverse|Philemon|1:24"/>

Modern Bible scholars (i.e. most critical scholars) have concluded that the Gospel of Mark is anonymous and doubt the traditional attribution to Mark, Peter’s interpreter.<ref name="Ehrman 2004 p. ">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Jeon Baugh 2017 p. 181">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=lost>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=nickle>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Scholarship is inconclusive on authorship, with some denying that the gospel was written by anyone named Mark while others accept the view John Mark was the author. Others argue the gospel was written by a Mark not mentioned in the Bible or connected to Peter.<ref name="Tucker Kuecker 2020 p. 70" /> For instance, the author of the Gospel of Mark knew very little about the geography of the region (having apparently never visited it),<ref name="leach">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Evans 2014 p. 252"/>Template:Sfn "was very far from being a peasant or a fisherman",<ref name="leach"/> was unacquainted with Jewish customs (unlikely for someone from Palestine),<ref name="Evans 2014 p. 252"/>Template:Sfn and was probably "a Hellenized Jew who lived outside of Palestine".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Mitchell Reddish does concede that the name of the author might have been Mark (making the gospel possibly homonymous), but the identity of this Mark is unknown.Template:Sfn Similarly, "Francis Moloney suggests the author was someone named Mark, though maybe not any of the Marks mentioned in the New Testament".<ref name="Tucker Kuecker 2020 p. 70">Template:Cite book</ref> The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus takes the same approach: the author was named Mark, but scholars are undecided who this Mark was.<ref name="Evans 2014 p. 252">Template:Cite book</ref>

The four canonical gospels are anonymous and most researchers agree that none of them was written by eyewitnesses.<ref name="Millard 2006">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Biblical and traditional informationEdit

Evidence for Mark the Evangelist's authorship of the Gospel of Mark that bears his name originates with Papias (Template:Circa).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Papias01">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=NJBCp596>Template:Citation</ref> Scholars of the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School are "almost certain" that Papias is referencing John Mark.<ref>D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo and Leon Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament (Apollos, 1992), 93.</ref> Modern mainstream Bible scholars find Papias's information difficult to interpret.<ref name="MuddimanBarton2010">Template:Cite book</ref>

The Coptic Church accords with identifying Mark the Evangelist with John Mark, as well as that he was one of the Seventy Disciples sent out by Jesus (Luke 10:1),<ref name="bibleverse|Luke|10:1"/> as Hippolytus confirmed.<ref name=Shen01/> Coptic tradition also holds that Mark the Evangelist hosted the disciples in his house after Jesus's death, that the resurrected Jesus came to Mark's house (John 20), and that the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples at Pentecost in the same house.<ref name=Shen01/> Furthermore, Mark is also believed to have been among the servants at the Marriage at Cana who poured out the water that Jesus turned to wine (John 2:1–11).<ref>Template:Bibleverse</ref><ref name=Shen01>Pope Shenouda III, The Beholder of God Mark the Evangelist Saint and Martyr, Chapter One. Tasbeha.org</ref>

According to the Coptic tradition, Mark was born in Cyrene, a city in the Pentapolis of North Africa (now Libya). This tradition adds that Mark returned to Pentapolis later in life, after being sent by Paul to Colossae (Colossians 4:10;<ref name="bibleverse|Colossians|4:10"/> Philemon 24.)<ref>Template:Bibleverse</ref> Some, however, think these actually refer to Mark the Cousin of Barnabas), and serving with him in Rome (2 Timothy 4:11);<ref name="bibleverse|2 Timothy|4:11"/> from Pentapolis he made his way to Alexandria.<ref name=SUSCopt>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> When Mark returned to Alexandria, the pagans of the city resented his efforts to turn the Alexandrians away from the worship of their traditional gods.<ref name=Shen07/> In AD 68, they placed a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets until he was dead.<ref name=Shen07>Pope Shenouda III. The Beholder of God Mark the Evangelist Saint and Martyr, Chapter Seven. Tasbeha.org</ref>

VenerationEdit

Template:See also

File:La tradizione del dono del "Bocol".jpg

Festa del bocoło (rosebud festival) in St Mark's Square, Venice (Italy)

The Feast of St Mark is observed on April 25 by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. For those Churches still using the Julian calendar, April 25 according to it aligns with May 8 on the Gregorian calendar through the year 2099. The Coptic Orthodox Church observes the Feast of St Mark on Parmouti 30 according to the Coptic calendar which always aligns with April 25 on the Julian calendar or May 8 on the Gregorian calendar.

Where John Mark is distinguished from Mark the Evangelist, John Mark is celebrated on September 27 (as in the Roman Martyrology) and Mark the Evangelist on April 25.

Mark is remembered in the Church of England and in much of the Anglican Communion, with a Festival on 25 April.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In artEdit

Template:More citations needed Mark the Evangelist is most often depicted writing or holding his gospel.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In Christian tradition, Mark the Evangelist is symbolized by a winged lion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Mark the Evangelist attributes are the lion in the desert; he can be depicted as a bishop on a throne decorated with lions; as a man helping Venetian sailors. He is often depicted holding a book with pax tibi Marce written on it or holding a palm and book. Other depictions of Mark show him as a man with a book or scroll, accompanied by a winged lion. The lion might also be associated with Jesus' Resurrection because lions were believed to sleep with open eyes, thus a comparison with Christ in his tomb, and Christ as king.

Mark the Evangelist can be depicted as a man with a halter around his neck and as rescuing Christian slaves from Saracens.

Depictions of Mark the Evangelist
Accademia - St Mark's Body Brought to Venice by Jacopo Tintoretto.jpg

Venetian merchants with the help of two Greek monks take Mark the Evangelist's body to Venice, by Tintoretto
Codexaureus 21.jpg

Mark the Evangelist listening to the winged lion, Mark; image 21 of the Codex Aureus of Lorsch or Lorsch Gospels
Vangeli di ebbone (evangelista marco), epernay, Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. 1 f 18 v., 20,8x26 cm, ante 823.jpg

Mark the Evangelist looking at the lion, Template:Circa
Folio 19v - The Martyrdom of Saint Mark.jpg

The martyrdom of Saint Mark. Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry (Musée Condé, Chantilly), Template:Circa and 1416.
Andrea Mantegna 087.jpg

St Mark by Andrea Mantegna, 1448
Evangelist-with-lion.jpg

Mark the Evangelist with the lion, 1524
Bodleian Library MS. Arm. d.13. Armenian Gospels-0041-0.jpg

A painted miniature in an Armenian Gospel manuscript from 1609, held by the Bodleian Library
Åhus kyrka-15.jpg

Saint Mark on a 17th-century naive painting by unknown artist in the choir of St Mary church (Sankta Maria kyrka) in Åhus, Sweden
Pasquale Ottino San Marcos escribe sus Evangelios al dictado de San Pedro Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux.jpg

St. Mark writes his Evangelium at the dictation of St. Peter, by Pasquale Ottino, 17th century, Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux
Il Pordenone - San Marco - Budapest.jpg

Mark the Evangelist by Il Pordenone (Template:Circa)
GRM Inv. J-3179.jpg

Saint Mark the Evangelist Icon from the royal gates of the central iconostasis of the Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, 1804
Tzanes Emmanuel - St Mark the Evangelist - Google Art Project.jpg

An icon of Saint Mark the Evangelist, 1657
San Marco cathedral in Venice.JPG

Saint Mark's Basilica
Nuremberg chronicles f 104r 1.png

St Mark in the Nuremberg Chronicle
Stmark.jpg

Saint Mark, 1411–1413, by Donatello (Orsanmichele, Florence)
StMarkcoptic.jpg

Coptic icon of Saint Mark the Evangelist