MARK (AS. mare, Ger. Mark; perhaps iden tical originally with mark, token, boundary). Originally the term appears to have been used to designate a unit of weight, most commonly of gold or silver. It was about equal to eight ounces. but it varied from country to country. In 1524 the Cologne mark was made the standard weight for gold and silver throughout the Holy Roman Empire, hut the standard was never properly enforced. In Anglo-Saxon times the term mark was used to designate a money of account, consisting of 100 pennies—in the twelfth century, 160 pennies. In 1663 a silver mark was issued in Scotland which was valued at 13s. Id. English money. In the nineteenth century the mark was a common small coin among the German States, varying considerably in the dif ferent parts of Germany. In 1873 the gold mark of 100 pfennige was adopted as the monetary unit of the German Empire. It represents .3982 grammes of gold (900 fine) and is valued at 80.23821 in American money.
MARK (Lat. Marcus. Gk. Md./mg, Markos), or JOHN, with the surname MARK (Acts xii. 12). The writer of the second Gospel. The in cidental notices in the New Testament give the following facts: Mark was the son of a certain Mary, a householder of Jerusalem. at whose home the early Christians held meetings in the days of persecution (Acts xii. 1-12). He was a cousin of Barnabas (Col. iv. 10), hence, possibly, in case the relationship was on the fathers' side, of Levitical descent. An old tradition says that he had his thumbs cut off• so as to be unfit for time priesthood. Peter calls him his 'son' (1. Pet.
v. 13), which means probably that he was con verted to Christianity under Peter's ministry in Jerusalem. lie came to Antioch from Jerusalem with Barnabas and Paul (Acts xii. 25). and ac companied them as an assistant on their first missionary journey (Acts xiii. 5). But he left them at Perga and returned to Jerusalem (Acts xiii. 13; cf. xv. 37.39). Again at Antioch he ac companied Barnabas to Cyprus. Paul being un willing 'to take him with him on the second journey (Acts xv. 37-40). This was about A.D. 50. We hear nothing more of him until the time of Paul's first Roman captivity (c.60 a.n), when we learn (Col. iv. 10: Philem. 24) that he was then in Rome, reconciled to Paul and esteemed by him, and was about to visit Asia .11inor. He may have come to Rome with Peter, who mentions him (I. Pet. v. 13) as with him in the city. The proposed journey to Asia was probably undertaken, as lie was in the East when Paul wrote from Rome (c.65) to' Timothy at Ephesus ( ?), asking him to bring Mark with him (II. Tim. iv. 11). At Rome. according to early tradition, he wrote his Gospel. not alto gether as his own work, hut as containing the substance of Peter's preaching. Another tradi tion makes him the organizer and first Bishop of the Alexandrian Church. In the nature of the case, such traditions are difficult of proof. Con sult the commentaries on Mark, especially that of Swete: Zahn. Einicitany in das 'fens Testa ment, vol. ii. (Leipzig, 1900). See MARK, GOS PEL OF.