Mark the Evangelist (Koinē Greek: Μᾶρκος, <small>romanized</small>: Mârkos), also known as John Mark (Koinē Greek: Ἰωάννης Μᾶρκος, <small>romanized:</small> Iōánnēs Mârkos; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ, romanized: Yōḥannān) or Saint Mark, was a Libyan who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Most modern scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark is anonymous, Scholarship is inconclusive on authorship; some deny that the gospel was written by anyone named Mark, while others accept that John Mark was the author. Others argue the gospel was written by a Mark not mentioned in the Bible or connected to Peter. Michael Kok argues that claims that the author of Mark was ignorant of Palestinian geography or customs are unwarranted. The author "was very far from being a peasant or a fisherman", Mitchell Reddish concedes that the name of the author might have been Mark (making the gospel possibly homonymous), but asserts that the identity of this Mark is unknown. Similarly, "Francis Moloney suggests the author was someone named Mark, though maybe not any of the Marks mentioned in the New Testament". The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus takes the same approach: the author was named Mark, but scholars are undecided who this Mark was.
The four canonical gospels do not name their authors, which was common for other ancient works. Most researchers agree that none of them were written by eyewitnesses, though that would not preclude the theory that Mark's gospel was based on Peter's eyewitness testimony.
Biblical and traditional information
Evidence for Mark the Evangelist's authorship of the Gospel of Mark that bears his name originates with Papias (). Scholars of the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School are "almost certain" that Papias is referencing John Mark. Modern mainstream Bible scholars find Papias's information difficult to interpret.
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),
According to the Coptic tradition, Mark was born in Cyrene, a city in the Pentapolis of North Africa (now Libya). 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.
Veneration
thumb|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.
In art
Mark the Evangelist is most often depicted writing or holding his gospel. In Christian tradition, Mark the Evangelist is symbolized by a winged lion.
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.
<gallery widths="180" heights="200" caption="Depictions of Mark the Evangelist">
File: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
File:Codexaureus 21.jpg|Mark the Evangelist listening to the winged lion, Mark; image 21 of the Codex Aureus of Lorsch or Lorsch Gospels
File: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,
File:Folio 19v - The Martyrdom of Saint Mark.jpg|The martyrdom of Saint Mark. Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (Musée Condé, Chantilly), and 1416.
File:Andrea Mantegna 087.jpg|St Mark by Andrea Mantegna, 1448
File:Evangelist-with-lion.jpg|Mark the Evangelist with the <!-- smiling --> lion, 1524
File: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
File: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
File: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
File:Il Pordenone - San Marco - Budapest.jpg|Mark the Evangelist by Il Pordenone ()
File: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
File:Tzanes Emmanuel - St Mark the Evangelist - Google Art Project.jpg|An icon of Saint Mark the Evangelist, 1657
File:San Marco cathedral in Venice.JPG|Saint Mark's Basilica
File:Nuremberg chronicles f 104r 1.png|St Mark in the Nuremberg Chronicle
File:Stmark.jpg|Saint Mark, 1411–1413, by Donatello (Orsanmichele, Florence)
File:StMarkcoptic.jpg|Coptic icon of Saint Mark the Evangelist
</gallery>
Major shrines
- Basilica di San Marco (Venice, Italy)
- Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Alexandria, Egypt)
- Saint Mark's Church, Belgrade, Serbia
- Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Cairo, Egypt)
- St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, New York City, NY, the United States
- St. Mark The Evangelist Parish Church, Pangil, Laguna, Philippines
- St. Mark The Evangelist Parish, Linao, Ormoc City,
See also
- Baucalis
- Feast of Saint Mark
- John the Evangelist
- Luke the Evangelist
- Rogation days