The winged lion is a traditional symbol of St. Mark
The identity of St. Mark remains under debate. Some scholars believe him to be one of the seventy disciples the Lord sent to spread the good news (2 Tim 4:11), for others he is John Mark (Acts 12:12, 25), or the cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10).
According to Church tradition, St. Mark started his missionary acts in 49 AD in Alexandria, Egypt, founded the Church in Africa and much of the Coptic Church in Egypt.
In the early centuries, the Church identified St. Mark as the young man who carried the water jar and went from the fountain to the mountain, followed by the two disciples the Lord sent to prepare for the celebration of the Last Supper. (Mark 14:13-24), (Luke 22:10-20). The west side of Mount Sion was where the Essenes headquartered in Jerusalem and it was close to the house of the High Priest. The fact that this man was carrying a water jar hints that he might have been a member of the Essene community. Essenes did not live with women and women in that culture were supposed to provide their families with water.
Another fact the Gospel refers to is that this man had a big house equipped with an upper room. The Last Supper took place in an upper room, but it’s exact location is not clear to us today. In that time, having a large house like that meant that the man belonged to the higher class in Jerusalem.
The same Church tradition invites us to see the same gentleman following Jesus and his apostles to the Gethsemane garden and witnessing what happened there that night when Jesus was captured by the soldiers who were sent by the High Priest and the Romans. Afterward the apostles scattered and fled to save themselves. This where and when we read about this young man who fled as well, leaving behind the only garment he was wearing (Mark 14:51-52). Describing what happened in the dark, the text inspires the idea that this is a personal witness written by Mark himself. This is why most of the biblical scholars identify this young man as Mark the Evangelist.
The local Palestinian Church in Jerusalem believes that after the exile of St. John in Patmos, the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, returned to Jerusalem and was hosted by the same St. Mark on the same Mount Sion until her dormition.
We invite you and your Bible study group to visit the Fifth Gospel (the Holy Land) and see these places you are studying about. May St. Mark serve as a model of Faith and Witness for us!
Peace