Most authors accept that the Gospel of Mark was written by JohnMark. He was the son of Mary of Jerusalem, who owned a house therewhich the Christians used as a meeting place.The external evidence for this is early, strong, and fromvarious parts of the empire. Papias (about a.d. 110) quotes Johnthe Elder (probably the Apostle John, though conceivably anotherearly disciple) as saying that Mark, the associate of Peter, wroteit. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria,Origen, and the Anti-Marcionite Prologue to Mark all concur.The internal evidence for Marcan authorship, while notextensive, does tie in with this universal tradition of earlyChristianity.It appears the writer knew Palestine well, especially Jerusalem.(The accounts regarding the upper room are more detailed than inthe other Gospels-not surprising if it was in his boyhood home!)The Gospel shows some Aramaic background (the language ofPalestine), Jewish customs are understood, and the vividness of thenarrative suggests close ties with an eyewitness. The outline ofthe book's contents parallels Peter's sermon in Acts 10.Tradition is that Mark wrote the gospel while in Rome, there isa greater number of Latin words in his Gospel than the others (suchas centurion, census, denarius, legion, and praetorium).