**MARCUS of Jerusalem, Saint.** — He is commemorated in the *Roman Martyrology* on 22 Oct. as a martyr, but there is no evidence for this title; in antiquity he had no cult and was included in the *Martyrology of Ado*.
He was the first bishop of Jerusalem after the city’s reconstruction under Hadrian. In 135, in fact, the Jews, who had repeatedly attempted to shake off the yoke of Roman domination, led by the demagogue Bar Kokhba, rebelled once more; but they were defeated near Bethar and dispersed. From that time onward, they were absolutely forbidden to set foot in Jerusalem, which became a Roman colony inhabited solely by pagans. The Christian community, which until then had consisted of converts from Judaism, was also dispersed, and gradually reconstituted itself with elements drawn from paganism; Marcus was indeed the first bishop of this new community. Nothing is known of his activity; he seems to have died under Antoninus Pius in 156.
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**MARCUS, the Gnostic.** — A disciple of Valentinus, he taught, according to Irenaeus (*Haer.* I, 7, 4, ed. W. Harvey, p. 121; I, 13, 5, ed. A. Stieren, p. 154), in Asia, perhaps in the time of St. Irenaeus. Characteristic of his thought was his speculation on the letters of the alphabet and on numbers.
Irenaeus encountered adherents of Marcus in the Rhône valley, and this was the occasion for his treatment of Gnosticism. The notices about Marcus in Irenaeus are of special interest because they reveal liturgical usages and formulae. Some of these formulae are transmitted even in Aramaic, which suggests that this Gnostic movement was spread in Syria or in a Jewish-Christian milieu. The Marcosians practiced water baptism but also knew a post-baptismal anointing. Their prayers for the dead are also noteworthy, as they were intended to facilitate the passage of souls through hostile powers in heaven. A passing remark by St. Irenaeus, though polemical, attests the sect’s belief in the transmutation of the Eucharist. Marcus considered himself a prophet and even imparted the gift of prophecy to others (*Haer.* I, 7, 2, ed. Harvey, p. 117; I, 13, 3, ed. Stieren, p. 147).
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