JOHN MARK
He was the author of the 2nd Gospel, which he wrote ca AD 50-69. He was a close associate of Peter, who refered to him as "my son", and he may have recorded the life of Jesus
according to the eyewitness account of Peter and other apostles. He was likely led to Christ through Peter. He was the cousin of Barnabas and lived in Jerusalem. He accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey, but later
left Paul and Barnabus at Cyprus and returned to Jerusalem. It is speculated that he abandoned the Paul due to Paul's cantagious fever, which he contracted at Perga, as well the danger of robbers in the mountains which lay ahead in
their journey.
After this, Paul refused to take him with on his 2nd missionary journey, and Mark went with Barnabas to Cyprus. Mark was with
Paul ca AD 60 in Rome, and tradition states that he was the interpreter of Peter in Rome. He was the founder of the church in Alexandria. He was reportedly torn to pieces by a mob in Alexandria after he told them that their pagan
god, Serapis, was worthless in AD 68. It is stated that he was dragged with a rope around his neck through the streets and then imprisoned for the night. The following morning, the same ordeal was repeated until his death.
