Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

Peter's Reign 

    Peter was leader of the Apostles and of the Church from the time of Christ's Ascension to the time of his 

martyrdom. Christ's Ascension took place on May 18 of 

A.D.

 19 and Peter's martyrdom took place on June 29 

of 

A.D.

 52. The length of Peter's reign as the first leader of the Church on earth after Jesus Christ was 33 years 

plus 42 days (May 19 to June 29, inclusive, which is exactly six weeks). This length of time is exactly the same 

as the length of time in this chronology for Christ's life, from His Incarnation to His Crucifixion (see chapter 

2). Christ was conceived on Feb. 25 of 15 

B.C.

, and He was crucified on April 7 of 

A.D.

 19, a time period of 

exactly 33 years and six weeks (see chapters 2 and 5). Other writers have claimed that the length of Peter's 

reign was more or less; they are mistaken.

 631

The Gospel of Mark 

    Herod Agrippa I began to persecute the Church in spring of 

A.D.

 27, after receiving the edit from Claudius 

giving the Jewish religion protected and favored status in the Roman Empire.

632

 James the Greater was put to 

death; Peter was imprisoned. Peter escaped from prison and eventually made his way to Rome. Certainly 

other disciples in Jerusalem and Judea were persecuted at that time and may have followed Peter, the leader of 

the Apostles, to Rome. 

    Peter mentions Mark  in his first Epistle:  She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you 

greetings; and so does my son Mark.  (1 Peter 13). Mark is called Peter's son because he was Peter's disciple. 

Saint Jerome calls Mark, Peter's  disciple and interpreter,  and he states that the Gospel of Mark is, for that 

reason, sometimes attributed to Peter.

633

 When Peter escaped from prison,  he went to the house of Mary, the 

mother of John whose other name is Mark .  (Acts 12:12). John Mark is the Gospel writer Mark. Peter was 

at Mark's house just before he fled Jerusalem for Rome. And Mark, a disciple of Peter, was at Rome with 

Peter for many years sometime thereafter. Thus John Mark most likely fled with Peter to Rome at that time, 

both to escape the general persecution under Herod Agrippa I, and to be with Peter, his teacher in the Faith. 

And this is how the close association between Peter and Mark began. 

    On the other hand, Acts of the Apostles does not specifically say that Mark fled with Peter (Acts 12:17). It is 

possible that Mark joined Peter in Rome at a later date. Acts does say that Mark was in Jerusalem with Saul 

and Barnabas at the time that they had completed their mission to those suffering from the famine. They then 

took Mark with them on their missionary journeys (Acts 12:25). Mark was at this time with Saul, not in Rome 

with Peter. Saul and Barnabas completed their mission sometime after the death of Herod Agrippa I. He died 

in 

A.D.

 28, probably late in the year.

634

 This places Mark in Jerusalem sometime in late 

A.D.

 28 or early 

A.D.

 29. 

    But Peter had fled Jerusalem for Rome in early 

A.D.

 27. So Mark could easily have left Jerusalem with Peter 

in early 

A.D.

 27, spent considerable time in Rome, and still visited Jerusalem 1  to 2 years later. Since Herod 

had died, Peter could have visited Jerusalem at this time, along with Mark. A more likely scenario, though, is 

that Saul and Barnabas completed their mission not long after the death of Herod. Peter would not then have 

been in Jerusalem, since he would not have had time to hear about Herod's death and then travel to Judea 

from Rome. But Peter may have sent his disciple John Mark on his behalf, even before Herod died, to bring 

relief to the poor during the famine. In any case, both Peter and Mark certainly traveled extensively during the 

time that they were both based in Rome. 

    Mark was also with Paul and Barnabas in Antioch (Acts 15:30 39), sometime after the Council of the 

Church at the time of Paul's third visit to Jerusalem (the one after 14 years). At that time, there was a 

dissension between Paul and Barnabas about Mark. Paul and Barnabas had decided to continue their 

missionary journeys, but Paul did not want Mark to continue to travel with them. So Barnabas and Paul went 

their separate ways, with Mark accompanying Barnabas instead of Paul. Paul's third visit to Jerusalem (for the 

Council of Acts 15) occurred in 

A.D.

 35. So Mark's journey with Barnabas must be placed either later in 

A.D.

35 or in early 

A.D.

 36. Paul's missionary journeys prior to his arrival in Corinth (where the conflict under 

Gallio occurred) must also have begun in 

A.D.

 35, after the Council, or in early 

A.D.

 36. This later date of 

A.D.

150