MARBLE

remarkable phrase in Rev 22" (' Amen. Come, Lord')-It is noticeable also that in both passages the expression is used as a concluding formula. Whether any similar formula was in use among the Jews is disputed. An old Jewish acrostic hymn, still extant in all types of the Jewish Uturgy, the initiaj letters of the lines of which may be read 'Amen. Come' (Heb. amen 65) at least suggests the possibility of such a usage.

2. Original significance of the expression. — It is clear from the passage in the Didache cited above that 'maranatha' cannot be regarded as a formula of ex-communication synonymous with 'anathema' (so Calvin, comparing 'Abba, Father'). It was rather a watchword of the earliest Christian community, era-bodying the thought in the form of a prayer that the 'Parousia,' or Second Advent of the Lord, might soon be consummated, in accordance with the ardent expecta-tions current in the first generation.

3. Later usage. — In later usage, under the influence of false exegesis, the term acquired an imprecatory sense. It thus occurs in an early sepulchral inscription (4th or Sth cent.) from the island of Salamis. Its supposed correspondence with the Jewish shammatha (the 3rd or highest degree of excommunication) has, of course, notiiing to substantiate it. Further details of this development will be found in Hastings' DB, s.v, 'M ranatha.' G. H. Box.

MARBLE. — See Mining and Metals.

MARCHBSHVAN.— See Time.

MARCUS.— AV of Col 4i«, Philem m, i p 5"=Mark (wh. see).

MARDOCHEUS.— 1. The name of Mordecai, the uncle of Esther, appears in this form in Ad. Est lO" ll'^- " 121. 4.8 1613. 2. 1 Es S8=Mordecai, Ezr 2^, Neh 7'.

MARESHAH.— 1. The 'father' of Hebron (1 Ch 2«). 2. A Judahite (1 Ch 421). These genealogical data are really concerned with— 3. An important city in the Sheph-elah of Judah (Jos 15"), fortified by Rehoboam (2 Ch 1 is; see also 2 Ch 14»- '» 20", Mic li'). Later on, under the name Marissa, Josephus describes (Ant. xji. viii. 6 etc.) its extremely chequered history. The site of Mareshah has now with certainty been identified as Tell Sanda-hanna. This tell was partially excavated by Bliss and MacaUster, but the identity of the site was finally demonstrated by the finding, in 1902, of a tomb by Messrs. Peters and Tiersch, adorned with a number of interesting pictured animals, etc., and about 200 inscriptions recording the names of many Phoenician inhabitants of Marissa, about b.o. 200. The hill on which the ruins of Mareshah stand is riddled with the most extraor-dinary caves, once human dwelUngs. The old name Mareshah still lingers in Khurbet Merash, the name of some ruins about halt a mile off. See also Marisa. E. W. G. Masterman.

MARIMOTH (2 Es 12)=Meraioth (Ezr 7=); also called Memeroth, 1 Es 8^.

MARISA. — The Gr. form of the name Mareshah. It occurs only in 2 Mac 12'*, but should be read also in 1 Mac 5", where all Greek MSS wrongly have * Samaria.'

MARK (JOHN).— There are three groups of NT passages where the name Mark occurs.

(1) John Mark was a Jew and son of Mary, who was a leading Christian woman at Jerusalem. At her house the faithful assembled for prayer, and thither Peter went on his release from imprisonment, having perhaps previously lodged there (Ac 12i™). An im-probable conjecture makes Mark the son of the ' good-man of the house' in Mk 14", and another, not so un-likely, identifies Mark himself with the ' young man ' of Mk 14"; but the Muratorian Fragment (see next art. § 1) apparently denied that Mark had ever seen our Lord. Probably Mary was a widow. 'Mark' would be an added name such as the Jews often took.

578

MARK, GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

in Roman fashion; it was a Roman priBnomen, much used among Greek-speaking people, but not common among the Jews. John Mark was chosen as com-panion of Barnabas and Saul when they left Jerusalem for Antioch (Ac 12«»— the reading of RVm is hardly possible), and taken by them on their first missionary journey (13'), not as chosen expressly by the Holy Ghost (ct. V.2), and not as an equal; 'they had also John as their attendant (AV minister).' It has been suggested that Mark was a Levite (see below), and that the designation here used means 'a synagogue minister,' as in Lk i'"> (Chase). But this would make the words 'they had' intolerably harsh. Probably Mark's work was to arrange the Apostles' journeys, per-haps also to baptize — a work not usually performed by St. Paul himself (1 Co 1"). Mark remained with the Apostles on their journey through Cyprus, but left them at Perga in Pamphylia (Ac 13") either from cowardice, or, more probably, because the journey to Ksidian Antioch and beyond, involving work among distant Gentiles, was a change of plan which he did not approve (Ramsay). He had not yet grasped the idea of a world- wide Christianity, as St. Paul had. His departure to Jerusalem led later to the estrangement of Paul and Barnabas; the latter wished to take Mark with them on the Second Journey (15'™), but Paul refused, and separated from Barnabas, who then took Mark to Cyprus.

(2) The Mark of the Pauline Epistles was cousin of Barnabas (Col 4i» RV), probably of the Jewish colony of Cyprus, and a Levite (Ac i^). It is therefore gener-ally agreed that he was the same as John Mark. If so, he became reconciled to St. Paul, and was his 'fellow- worker' and a 'comfort' to him (COl 4", Philem m), and useful to him 'for ministering' (2 Ti 4n) — this was Mark's special office, not to be an original organizer but a useful assistant (Swete). We learn that Mark was contemplating a visit to Colossse, and perhaps that the Colossians had hesitated to receive him (Col 4i»).

(3) The Pelrine Mark. — St. Peter speaks of a Mark as his 'son' (1 P Si>), and as being with him at 'Baby-lon' when he wrote the First Epistle. It is usually held that 'Babylon' means Rome, as there seems not to have been a Jewish colony in the real Babylon at the time, and as all ecclesiastical tradition connects St. Peter's work with Rome. If this be so, we may safely identify all the three Marks as one person. [If not, the Petrine Mark is probably not the same as the Pauline.) The identification is made more Ukely by the fact that John Mark is connected with both Peter and Paul in Acts; and if 1 P 5'' refers to Rome, there is no reason why this double connexion should not have continued as long as both Apostles lived. And if, as is not impossible, St. Peter survived St. Paul for some time, we can well understand that Mark devoted himself exclusively to the former after the death of the latter, and that in this way the ecclesiastical tradition (see next art.), which almost unanimously attaches him to Peter, grew up. By that tradition Mark's activity is associated both with Rome and with Alexandria; and the Egyptian Church assigns its principal liturgy to his name. But the early Alex-andrian Fathers, Clement and Origen, are silent as to Mark's residence in Egypt. The Acts of Mark (5th cent.?) makes him a martyr. A. J. Maclean.

MARK, GOSPEL ACCORDING TO.— 1. External testimony. — It is possible that the first reference to Mk. is the preface to Lk. (l'-<), which impUes that the narratives spoken of were, in St. Luke's opinion, incom-plete and not in the best order. Mk. is certainly in-complete from the point of view of one who wished to begin ' from the beginning.' From internal evidence it is probable that St. LukeusedMk. (see§§3-5). Papias (quoted by Eusebius, HE iii. 39) gives the following