On the Marcionite Interest in John-Mark (and the Jewish Origins of their Monastic Interpretations)

From Ephraim Against Marcion Book 1. Notice that the argument seems to actually come from the Marcionites and Ephraim is trying to turn it 'inconsistencies' against them:

And that thou mightest know that this is so, the Maker sanctified Moses and sent him to Egypt, and since Moses wished to take his wife with him by force, He (i.e. the Maker) constrained him by means of an angel to send her back, that He might show how pleasing holiness is to Him. And the Stranger also acted likewise towards Simon (Peter) ... [a]nd again, when the People had been sanctified, He did not allow them to approach the holy mountain because they were turning again to married life ; but the People were standing at a distance, and Moses the holy was speaking, and God was answering with a voice. And again, the disciples also were standing in silence (at the Transfiguration), and Simon only was speaking.

And perhaps thou wilt say, Was there not among them John, a virgin, and were not all his companions holy for here (i.e. at Sinai) also were not the People holy in relation to the Maker ? And Joshua was a virgin, and he (i.e. Moses) was brought in with Joshua only. Lo! here also it is found that Isu resembles the Maker ; for the Maker sanctified the chief of His prophets, and Isu sanctified the chief of His apostles.

It is noteworthy that numerous Jewish legends emphasize Moses' wife going screwy owing to his divinely enforced abstinence.

Ephraim is merely doing what all Church Fathers do against the Marcionites - i.e. saying that because there are similarities between the Old and the New Covenants they had to be engaged in the worship in the same power not recognizing that the Jewish mystical tradition has always emphasized various 'emanations' of God each getting greater the further 'up the divine ladder' you go.

The Marcionites were once again, as I have said time and time again a Jewish messianic faith.