Simon, from Cyrene.

[maryhelena]

As to 'coming in from the country':

Aristobulus II escaped in 57 BC, instigating rebellion against Rome in Judea, until he was finally holed up by Aulus Gabinius, consul of the Roman province of Syria, in Machaerus. Marc Antony, commander of the cavalry under Gabinius, led several men to scale Aristobulus' fortifications and subdue his forces.[3]
Taken prisoner, Aristobulus was released by Julius Caesar in 49 BC in order to turn Judea against Pompey. He was on his way to Judaea with his son Alexander, when "he was taken off by poison given him by those of Pompey's party"
[wiki]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristobulus_II[/wiki]

There you go...
Aristobulus II was on his way to Judaea...... 'coming in from the country'....when the Romans got hold of him....

I think that is a misunderstanding of the word „ἀγροῦ“ in Mark 15:21. Mark used for „country“ in the sense of Judaea the word „χώρα“ (chóra) – Mark 1:5, 5:1, 5:10, 6:55

Mark 1:5 And all the country (χώρα) of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him
Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country (χώραν) of the Gerasenes
Mark 6:54-55 the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region (χώραν) and began to bring the sick people on their beds

ἀγρός (agros) – noun singular

- It´s the „agri“ in agriculture, in the LXX mostly in the sense of „field“
- The best translation here may be home farm, farmstead or country seat.

I think in GMark it has the sense of a dwelling place consisting of buildings and cultivated land as a unit to distinguish it from “city”, “village” and “house”.

Mark used the word eight times (Mark 5:14, 6:36, 6:56, 10:29, 10:30, 11:8, 13:16, 15:21).

1) clearly in the sense of a „dwelling place“ (Mark 5:14, 6:36, 6:56) to distinguish it from „city“ and „village“

5:14 „εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς“
in the city and in the ...

6:36 ἀπελθόντες εἰς τοὺς κύκλῳ ἀγροὺς καὶ κώμας
having gone in the surrounding ... and the villages

6:56 εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς κώμας ἢ εἰς πόλεις ἢ εἰς ἀγροὺς
he entered into villages or into cities or into ...

2) in the sense of „home or dwelling place or place of origin“ (Mark 10:29, 10:30, 13:16) to distinguish it from “house”

10:29 οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς ἀφῆκεν οἰκίαν ἢ ἀδελφοὺς ἢ ἀδελφὰς ἢ μητέρα ἢ πατέρα ἢ τέκνα ἢ ἀγροὺς
No one there is who has left house or brother or sisters ... or "ἀγροὺς"

10:30 ἐὰν μὴ λάβῃ ἑκατονταπλασίονα ... οἰκίας καὶ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἀδελφὰς καὶ ἀγροὺς
if not shall take a hundredfold ... houses and brothers and sisters ... and "ἀγροὺς"

(13:15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out,)
13:16 καὶ ὁ εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω
and the [one] in the „ἀγρὸν“ not let him return to the things behind

3) in the sense of „field“ (Mark 11:8)

11:8 καὶ πολλοὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἔστρωσαν εἰς τὴν ὁδόν, ἄλλοι δὲ στιβάδας, κόψαντες ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν -
and many the cloaks of them spread on the way, others moreover branches having been cut down from the „ἀγρῶν“

Interesting but I don't see it makes any difference to the thrust of the Wikipedia quote or my comment - i.e. Aristobulus was coming from somewhere to go somewhere. Simon, from Cyrene, (or Simon Cyrene) was coming into Jerusalem from somewhere, some place, some dwelling. Movement, travel, journey from place to place. Insisting on a specific, 'accurate', meaning of a foreign word within a specific context is always going to provide fodder for argument. We don't know the mind of the writer so anything that is proposed may, or may not be, what the writer had in mind when writing that particular word in that particular context.

[Peter Kirby]

As to 'coming in from the country':

Aristobulus II escaped in 57 BC, instigating rebellion against Rome in Judea, until he was finally holed up by Aulus Gabinius, consul of the Roman province of Syria, in Machaerus. Marc Antony, commander of the cavalry under Gabinius, led several men to scale Aristobulus' fortifications and subdue his forces.[3]
Taken prisoner, Aristobulus was released by Julius Caesar in 49 BC in order to turn Judea against Pompey. He was on his way to Judaea with his son Alexander, when "he was taken off by poison given him by those of Pompey's party"
[wiki]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristobulus_II[/wiki]

There you go...
Aristobulus II was on his way to Judaea...... 'coming in from the country'....when the Romans got hold of him....

I think that is a misunderstanding of the word „ἀγροῦ“ in Mark 15:21. Mark used for „country“ in the sense of Judaea the word „χώρα“ (chóra) – Mark 1:5, 5:1, 5:10, 6:55

Mark 1:5 And all the country (χώρα) of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him
Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country (χώραν) of the Gerasenes
Mark 6:54-55 the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region (χώραν) and began to bring the sick people on their beds

ἀγρός (agros) – noun singular

- It´s the „agri“ in agriculture, in the LXX mostly in the sense of „field“
- The best translation here may be home farm, farmstead or country seat.

I think in GMark it has the sense of a dwelling place consisting of buildings and cultivated land as a unit to distinguish it from “city”, “village” and “house”.

Mark used the word eight times (Mark 5:14, 6:36, 6:56, 10:29, 10:30, 11:8, 13:16, 15:21).

1) clearly in the sense of a „dwelling place“ (Mark 5:14, 6:36, 6:56) to distinguish it from „city“ and „village“

5:14 „εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς“
in the city and in the ...

6:36 ἀπελθόντες εἰς τοὺς κύκλῳ ἀγροὺς καὶ κώμας
having gone in the surrounding ... and the villages

6:56 εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς κώμας ἢ εἰς πόλεις ἢ εἰς ἀγροὺς
he entered into villages or into cities or into ...

2) in the sense of „home or dwelling place or place of origin“ (Mark 10:29, 10:30, 13:16) to distinguish it from “house”

10:29 οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς ἀφῆκεν οἰκίαν ἢ ἀδελφοὺς ἢ ἀδελφὰς ἢ μητέρα ἢ πατέρα ἢ τέκνα ἢ ἀγροὺς
No one there is who has left house or brother or sisters ... or "ἀγροὺς"

10:30 ἐὰν μὴ λάβῃ ἑκατονταπλασίονα ... οἰκίας καὶ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἀδελφὰς καὶ ἀγροὺς
if not shall take a hundredfold ... houses and brothers and sisters ... and "ἀγροὺς"

(13:15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out,)
13:16 καὶ ὁ εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω
and the [one] in the „ἀγρὸν“ not let him return to the things behind

3) in the sense of „field“ (Mark 11:8)

11:8 καὶ πολλοὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἔστρωσαν εἰς τὴν ὁδόν, ἄλλοι δὲ στιβάδας, κόψαντες ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν -
and many the cloaks of them spread on the way, others moreover branches having been cut down from the „ἀγρῶν“

Thank you for your work clarifying this point. Makes sense to me.

[maryhelena]

Update for this thread:

Epistle of Barnabas re the Red Heifer....gMark used the name Rufus in connection with the crucifixion story. Thus, re Barnabas, the red heifer sacrifice is linked to the Jesus crucifixion/sacrifice. i.e. to an interpretation of the gospel Jesus crucifixion story.

• CHAPTER VIII.--THE RED HEIFER A TYPE OF CHRIST.
  
  Now what do you suppose this to be a type of, that a command was given to Israel, that men of the greatest wickedness should offer a heifer, and slay and burn it, and, that then boys should take the ashes, and put these into vessels, and bind round a stick purple wool along with hyssop, and that thus the boys should sprinkle the people, one by one, in order that they might be purified from their sins? Consider how He speaks to you with simplicity. The calf is Jesus: the sinful men offering it are those who led Him to the slaughter. But now the men are no longer guilty, are no longer regarded as sinners. And the boys that sprinkle are those that have proclaimed to us the remission of sins and purification of heart.
  
  http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... berts.html

[andrewcriddle]

Here's a possibility:

Was Secret Mark real?

Were there more characters in Secret Mark?

Perhaps some of them were Alexander or Rufus?

Could this reference be a slip in the reduction of Secret Mark to Mark? Vestigial remains of the Secret Mark source not cut away?

This would require not only that Secret Mark be authentic but that canonical Mark be a redaction of Secret Mark, which is the opposite of what the Letter to Theodore claims.

Andrew Criddle

[Peter Kirby]

Yes I am not seriously proposing it.

Still, a better explanation than Carrier's....

[maryhelena]

Update for this thread - re summation of my position.

maryhelena - posts 12345

maryhelena on Simon the Cyrenean and his sons Alexander and Rufus:

Mark 15:21. A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

Cyrenean = Cyrene, in 74 BC, was created a Roman province; but, whereas under the Ptolemies the Jewish inhabitants had enjoyed equal rights, they now found themselves increasingly oppressed by the now autonomous and much larger Greek population. Tensions came to a head in the insurrection of the Jews of Cyrene under Vespasian (73 AD, the First Roman-Jewish War'')

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrene,_L ... man_period.....

Cyrene is relevant to the gospel Simon story for it being a place of Jewish insurrection and a Jewish High Priest was executed there.

ISHMAEL BEN PHABI (FIABI) II.

'Being one of the foremost ten citizens of Jerusalem sent on an embassy to Emperor Nero, he was detained by the empress at Rome as a hostage. He was beheaded in Cyrene after the destruction of Jerusalem, and is glorified by the Mishnah teachers (Parah iii. 5; Soṭah ix. 15; Pes. 57a; Yoma 35b).'

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/artic ... i-fiabi-ii

''Ishmael ben Fabus also known as Ishmael ben Phiabi was a High Priest of Israel in the 1st centur
He was a descendant of John Hyrcanus Maccabee Prince of Judea.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_ben_Fabus

Last High Priest to make the Red Heifer sacrifice.

Ishmael ben Fabus

'The first Moses made, the second Ezra made, and five from Ezra and onward, according to Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say: Seven [were made] from Ezra and onward; and who made them? Shimon the righteous and Yochanan the high priest made two each, Elyehoeinai ben Hakof and Chanamel the Egyptian and Yishmael ben Pi'avi made one each.'

http://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Parah.3. ... arLang=all

Josephus says that among those who went over to the Romans were '......... three of high priestly stock, sons of the Ishmael who was beheaded in Cyrene'. War: book 6 ch.2. These sons are not named. Consequently, although what happened in Cyrene is relevant to the gospel Simon story, the historicity and the fate of the sons of ISHMAEL BEN PHABI cannot be established. However, like Cyrene, the city of Jerusalem also experienced revolts and execution of its last High Priest and King. Josephus detail the fate of Aristobulus II and his sons Alexander of Judaea and Antigonus II Mattathias.

Simon = Aristobulus II. 'Caesar.....Aristobulus he sent home to Palestine to accomplish something against Pompey'. Cassius Dio book 41. He was coming in to Judea when taken by those in Pompey's party and poisoned. - 49 b.c.e. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristobulus_II

(of note re the use of the name *Simon* - Simon Maccabeus. He became the first prince of the Hebrew Hasmonean Dynasty. He reigned from 142 to 135 BCE.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Thassi

Alexander = Alexander of Judaea, son of Aristobulus II. 'Alexander,…was seized at the command of Pompey, and beheaded at Antioch.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Judaea

(of note re the use of the name *Alexander* - Alexander Jannaeus, Hasmonean King reported to have crucified 800. Alexander of Judaea being his grandson.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Jannaeus

Rufus = colour red, blood, sacrifice = Red Heifer Sacrifice.This name/designation is given to the second son of Simon the Cyrenean. The second son of Aristobulus II was Antigonus II Mattathias.

'Josephus states that Marc Antony beheaded Antigonus (Antiquities, XV 1:2 (8–9). Roman historian Dio Cassius says he was crucified and records in his Roman History: "These people [the Jews] Antony entrusted to a certain Herod to govern; but Antigonus he bound to a cross and scourged, a punishment no other king had suffered at the hands of the Romans, and so slew him.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigonus_II_Mattathias

(of note is that like the High Priest Ishmael ben Fabus, Antigonus was executed in a foreign country - Syrian Antioch. Note also that Ishmael ben Fabus was the last High Priest to make the Red Heifer sacrifice. )

The Red Heifer sacrifice:

'Even after it ceased entirely, however, the rabbis still regarded its regulations as of importance in teaching a profound lesson. With its contradictory "regulations" rendering the unclean clean and the clean unclean, it was regarded as a classic example of a ḥukkah (i.e., a statute for which no rational explanation can be adduced, but which must be observed because it is divinely commanded).'

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jso ... 16546.html

'The early Jewish conception was that the sacrifice of the red heifer was an expiatory rite to atone for the sin of the golden calf. The color of the heifer, as well as the scarlet thrown upon the fire, represents sin (comp. "your sins be as scarlet"; Isa. i. 18).'

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/artic ... red-heifer

(note: The gospel story of Simon the Cyrenean and his two sons, is an allegory referencing a city that experienced Jewish revolts and the execution of a Jewish High Priest. The gospel story relates to the city of Jerusalem; a city that also experienced revolts against Rome and execution of its last High Priest and King . Thus, figures, historical figures relevant to Jewish history are implicated. Hasmonean/Jewish history, re Josephus, relates a Roman execution of the last King and High Priest of the Jews. This execution became, through the principle inherent in the Red Heifer sacrifice, something clean instead of being unclean, cursed as in under the Law. Note the vision of Peter (in Acts) regarding transforming the unclean into the clean via dictate from heaven. Not of course, declaring human blood sacrifice to be 'clean' - but of a change of context from physical reality to heavenly/philosophical/intellectual reality. The Jerusalem above mirroring the Jerusalem below with the exception that only in the Jerusalem above would 'blood' sacrifice have salvation value. Jewish tragedy was transformed into a victorious Christian theology/philosophy.

The gospel crucifixion story is not history. Neither the Jesus figure, nor the figures of Simon the Cyrenean and his two sons are historical figures. What the gospel writers have done is use Hasmonean/Jewish history in a political allegory for their Jesus crucifixion story.

[mlinssen]

Kunigunde is perfectly right in her viewtopic.php?p=29390#p29390

Here is my full Monty:

Mark 15:21 Καὶ (And) ἀγγαρεύουσιν (they compel), παράγοντά (passing by) τινα (one), Σίμωνα (Simon) Κυρηναῖον (of Cyrene), ἐρχόμενον (coming) ἀπ’ (from) ἀγροῦ (the country), τὸν (the) πατέρα (father) Ἀλεξάνδρου (of Alexander) καὶ (and) Ῥούφου (Rufus), ἵνα (that) ἄρῃ (he might carry) τὸν (the) σταυρὸν (cross) αὐτοῦ (of Him).

As usual, it all starts with the Greek. It either starts with it or it doesn't start, as the very Greek is the only true source to it all. Anything beyond that, without having gone by the Greek first, is hopeless navel gazing and destined to be doomed

The first thing to do is to check the translation. Right here, the word ἀγροῦ has been harmonised, as so enormously much is harmonised by the heartless and spineless bible translators that slavishly bow to dogma. Don't trust any bible translation, and don't even trust any interlinear - they are just less bad.
It means field, and nothing but field. A few dozen occurrences of that, and biblehub helps: https://biblehub.com/greek/68.htm

country (5), countryside (3), farm (1), farms (3), field (21), fields (2), piece of land (1), tract of land (1).

Field it is.
Compel? What an odd word?!

https://biblehub.com/greek/29.htm

ἀγγαρεύω; future ἀγγαρεύσω; 1 aorist ἠγγάρευσα; to employ a courier, despatch a mounted messenger. A word of Persian origin (used by Menander, Sicyon. 4), but adopted also into Latin (Vulg.angariare). Ἄγγαροι were public couriers (tabellarii), stationed by appointment of the king of Persia at fixed localities, with horses ready for use, in order to transmit royal messages from one to another and so convey them the more speedily to their destination. See Herodotus 8, 98 (and Rawlinson's note); ...

A Latin loanword, like so many others.
There must be a story here, and it must link to this Simon, of Cyrene - and this "messenger" comes from the field

He is a passer-by, really now? That is so very, very wrong:

42: said IS : come-to-be you(PL) make-be Pass-by
ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲓ̄ⲥ̄ ϫⲉ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲉ ⲧⲉⲧⲛ̄ ⲣ̄ ⲡⲁⲣⲁⲅⲉ

That is not how it was meant to be translated, but let's assume that this is how they read it. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... Dpara%2Fgw clearly gives this as a verb that means to lead to the side, to lead aside, hence to mislead. Just keep it in the back of your head - and know that this was something that came from Thomas (via Marcion, perhaps) and was one of the core messages there that had to be turned and twisted into the new xtian context, like two thirds of his material

The field fulfils an important function in Thomas, and can be found via its copies in the canonicals, but naturally it is "the place where it all happens", the centre of agricultural activities.
In Thomas it is the Stage we all perform on, and as everything else (our faces, costumes and scripts) it is not ours. Did they get that? Perhaps, perhaps not

55. said IS : he-who-will hate his father not with his(F) mother he will be-able make-be Disciple not to I and and he hate his(PL) brothers with his(PL) sister and he carry [dop] his Satyros within my(F) manner he will come-to-be not he been-made [dop] Worthy-one to I

The word is ⲥ⳨ⲟⲥ, and it contains a stirogram in Thomas, and as such it highly likely was pronounced stiros, and the only word that fits is Satyros - and I have said enough about that in here already although I will say a lot more about it elsewhere.
But it was interpreted as stauros, and it ended up driving all of Christianity.
"Carry your cross in my way" is a nonsense statement of course, as none of us will get impaled like the alleged Jesus was, but no one seems to pay attention to that, like so much else.
But it gets applied here, and that also has a goal and purpose, as silly as it seems. Luke doesn't have it of course, and John has Jesus carry his own cross, likely because he damn well knew what it really said

All that is there, in this little sentence. It is 2nd / 3rd CE bullshit bingo with the aim to get as many points as possible with just one sentence, and it all perfectly illustrates how Mark is juggling with 3 balls: proto-Marcion something, adding tons of scripture to it, and throwing in some of Thomas, thereby paying lip service to the existing audience of Thomas / Marcion, and pleasing his new Judaic audience at the same time, trying to hijack this new religion and to p0wn it, as we would say these days

[maryhelena]

Kunigunde is perfectly right in her viewtopic.php?p=29390#p29390

The words Kunigunde Kreuzerin gave are:

1)'' The best translation here may be home farm, farmstead or country seat''.
2) ''I think in GMark it has the sense of a dwelling place consisting of buildings and cultivated land as a unit to distinguish it from “city”, “village” and “house”.
3) ''field''

My comment on her post:

Interesting but I don't see it makes any difference to the thrust of the Wikipedia quote or my comment - i.e. Aristobulus was coming from somewhere to go somewhere. Simon, from Cyrene, (or Simon Cyrene) was coming into Jerusalem from somewhere, some place, some dwelling. Movement, travel, journey from place to place. Insisting on a specific, 'accurate', meaning of a foreign word within a specific context is always going to provide fodder for argument. We don't know the mind of the writer so anything that is proposed may, or may not be, what the writer had in mind when writing that particular word in that particular context.

So, Simon of Cyrene was coming in (to Jerusalem) from the country, the home farm, farmstead, country seat, dwelling place or field.

I really don't see what is gained by placing emphasis on country, home farm, farmstead, country seat, dwelling place or field - except perhaps to shift the focus away from Cyrene.....

I came across this article today:

Simon of Cyrene, A Roman Citizen ?

From various scraps of evidence afforded by the texts of the New Testament it emerges that there was a sizeable community of Jews from Cyrene present at Jerusalem in the 30s and 40s AD. Naturally, those living in Cyrene or one of the neighboring communities in Libya are listed in the seemingly exhaustive review of those who languages were spoken at the gathering on the first Pentecost.

<snip>

This scenario is coherent with the claim advanced by Josephus that there were 3,000 well-to-do Jews present in Cyrene at the time of the disturbance of AD 73.

<snip>

In all likelihood, Simon came from the Jewish community established within the Cyrenaican city of Cyrene. On the other hand, the name of Alexandros points to a Greek background and that of Rufus presumes the possession of Roman citizenship.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25758325?r ... b_contents

Yes, the author of this article supports a historical Simon of Cyrene and his two sons. As an ahistoricist I view Simon and his two sons as literary figures in a gospel allegorical Jesus crucifixion story. Being literary figures in an allegorical gospel story allows for these figures to be considered as representative of, or illusions to, historical events and historical figures.

And that was the focus of my Simon of Cyrene thread.

If your goal is to seek some mystical/spiritual or philosophical meaning from the Greek word that is translated as country, the home farm, farmstead, country seat, dwelling place or field - I wish you well.

My focus, my goal, is to seek an understanding of the historical background to the development of early christianity.

[mlinssen]

If your goal is to seek some mystical/spiritual or philosophical meaning from the Greek word that is translated as country, the home farm, farmstead, country seat, dwelling place or field - I wish you well.

My focus, my goal, is to seek an understanding of the historical background to the development of early christianity.

Tut tut, Mary Helena. I am merely trying to get a correct translation before we all go off in any direction.
The best thing to do, usually, is to look in the text itself and see what the word gets translated with - isn't it?

Mark 4:14 Καὶ (And) οἱ (those) βόσκοντες (feeding) αὐτοὺς (them) ἔφυγον (fled) καὶ (and) ἀπήγγειλαν (proclaimed it) εἰς (to) τὴν (the) πόλιν (city) καὶ (and) εἰς (to) τοὺς (the) ἀγρούς (country). καὶ (And) ἦλθον (they went out) ἰδεῖν (to see) τί (what) ἐστιν (it is) τὸ (that) γεγονός (has been done).

Mark 6:36 ἀπόλυσον (Dismiss) αὐτούς (them), ἵνα (that) ἀπελθόντες (having gone) εἰς (to) τοὺς (the) κύκλῳ (surrounding) ἀγροὺς (region) καὶ (and) κώμας (villages), ἀγοράσωσιν (they might buy) ἑαυτοῖς (for themselves) τί (something) φάγωσιν (to eat).”

Mark 6:56 καὶ (And) ὅπου (wherever) ἂν (-) εἰσεπορεύετο (He entered) εἰς (into) κώμας (villages) ἢ (or) εἰς (into) πόλεις (cities) ἢ (or) εἰς (into) ἀγροὺς (fields), ἐν (in) ταῖς (the) ἀγοραῖς (marketplaces) ἐτίθεσαν (they were laying) τοὺς (the) ἀσθενοῦντας (ailing), καὶ (and) παρεκάλουν (were begging) αὐτὸν (Him) ἵνα (that) κἂν (only) τοῦ (the) κρασπέδου (fringe) τοῦ (the) ἱματίου (clothing) αὐτοῦ (of Him) ἅψωνται (they might touch); καὶ (and) ὅσοι (as many as) ἂν (-) ἥψαντο (touched) αὐτοῦ (Him) ἐσῴζοντο (were being healed).

Mark 10:29 Ἔφη (Was saying) ὁ (-) Ἰησοῦς (Jesus), “Ἀμὴν (Truly) λέγω (I say) ὑμῖν (to you), οὐδείς (no one) ἐστιν (there is) ὃς (who) ἀφῆκεν (has left) οἰκίαν (house), ἢ (or) ἀδελφοὺς (brothers), ἢ (or) ἀδελφὰς (sisters), ἢ (or) μητέρα (mother), ἢ (or) πατέρα (father), ἢ (or) τέκνα (children), ἢ (or) ἀγροὺς (lands), ἕνεκεν (for the sake) ἐμοῦ (of me) καὶ (and) ἕνεκεν (because) τοῦ (of the) εὐαγγελίου (gospel),
30 ἐὰν (if) μὴ (not) λάβῃ (shall take) ἑκατονταπλασίονα (a hundredfold) νῦν (now) ἐν (in) τῷ (the) καιρῷ (time) τούτῳ (this)— οἰκίας (houses) καὶ (and) ἀδελφοὺς (brothers) καὶ (and) ἀδελφὰς (sisters) καὶ (and) μητέρας (mothers) καὶ (and) τέκνα (children) καὶ (and) ἀγροὺς (lands), μετὰ (with) διωγμῶν (persecutions)— καὶ (and) ἐν (in) τῷ (the) αἰῶνι (age) τῷ (which) ἐρχομένῳ (is coming), ζωὴν (life) αἰώνιον (eternal).

Mark 11:Καὶ (And) πολλοὶ (many) τὰ (the) ἱμάτια (cloaks) αὐτῶν (of them) ἔστρωσαν (spread) εἰς (on) τὴν (the) ὁδόν (road); ἄλλοι (others) δὲ (then), στιβάδας (branches) κόψαντες (having been cut down) ἐκ (from) τῶν (the) ἀγρῶν (fields).

Mark 13:16 καὶ (and) ὁ (the one) εἰς (in) τὸν (the) ἀγρὸν (field), μὴ (not) ἐπιστρεψάτω (let him return) εἰς (to) τὰ (the things) ὀπίσω (behind), ἆραι (to take) τὸ (the) ἱμάτιον (clothing) αὐτοῦ (of him).

Mark 15:21 Καὶ (And) ἀγγαρεύουσιν (they compel), παράγοντά (passing by) τινα (one), Σίμωνα (Simon) Κυρηναῖον (of Cyrene), ἐρχόμενον (coming) ἀπ’ (from) ἀγροῦ (the country), τὸν (the) πατέρα (father) Ἀλεξάνδρου (of Alexander) καὶ (and) Ῥούφου (Rufus), ἵνα (that) ἄρῃ (he might carry) τὸν (the) σταυρὸν (cross) αὐτοῦ (of Him).

Mark 16:12 Μετὰ (After) δὲ (now) ταῦτα (these things), δυσὶν (to two) ἐξ (of) αὐτῶν (them) περιπατοῦσιν (as they are walking), ἐφανερώθη (He appeared) ἐν (in) ἑτέρᾳ (another) μορφῇ (form), πορευομένοις (going) εἰς (into) ἀγρόν (the country).

That's it. 9 verses with the word, most in plural and only 3 in singular form; the last 3, oddly.
Looking at these verses we see a clear juxtaposition to villages and cities when the plural is used, and "fields" would fit there very well. Country as in region both mean the same really, so I'd use the one word for each occurrence: field

We find a division between urban and rural in the NT, and Mark tries to combine the two. It may help you on your quest, knowing that the alleged Simon allegedly carrying the alleged cross of the alleged Jesus, allegedly was supposed to be rural LOL

There are many "mystical/spiritual or philosophical" things in the NT but they're buried below brutal banalities, except for John's text, and Luke shares some of that. Every religion starts off spiritually, but that is difficult to monetise, to control, to exploit - so they get moved to the background and ignored in due time, although they serve their purpose in baiting new victims.
They might help you on your quest though, getting back to historical triggers - but I'm certainly not interested in them in the NT

[maryhelena]

If your goal is to seek some mystical/spiritual or philosophical meaning from the Greek word that is translated as country, the home farm, farmstead, country seat, dwelling place or field - I wish you well.

My focus, my goal, is to seek an understanding of the historical background to the development of early christianity.

Tut tut, Mary Helena. I am merely trying to get a correct translation before we all go off in any direction.
The best thing to do, usually, is to look in the text itself and see what the word gets translated with - isn't it?

It's not any one specific Greek word - and the word choices of how to translate that Greek word into English - that 'sold' the gospel story. It's the narrative itself that 'sold' the gospel Jesus story. That narrative is what it is. A Roman execution of a man who the gospel writers wrote was a King of the Jews. That's it, that's the bare bones gospel narrative. A narrative that has stood now for nearly 2000 years. The very instrument of crucifixion, taken to be the cross, is worn around their necks by millions of Christians. And lets not forget that this is a historical claim by the gospel writers.

We find a division between urban and rural in the NT, and Mark tries to combine the two. It may help you on your quest, knowing that the alleged Simon allegedly carrying the alleged cross of the alleged Jesus, allegedly was supposed to be rural LOL

GMark: ''.. Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country''
GMatthew: '' .....a man of Cyrene, Simon by name''..
GLuke: ''...Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country''

Acts: '' parts of Libya about Cyrene.''

(ASV translation)

So....you want Simon of Cyrene coming from a 'rural' area.........country, home farm, farmstead, country seat, dwelling place or field. Three gospels link his name 'Simon' to 'Cyrene'. That's good enough for me - I don't needs his area postal code.

There are many "mystical/spiritual or philosophical" things in the NT but they're buried below brutal banalities, except for John's text, and Luke shares some of that. Every religion starts off spiritually, but that is difficult to monetise, to control, to exploit - so they get moved to the background and ignored in due time, although they serve their purpose in baiting new victims.
They might help you on your quest though, getting back to historical triggers - but I'm certainly not interested in them in the NT

I don't doubt that there are philosophical ideas in the NT. That's not my point in this exchange - which is the argument over which English word should be used for the translation of a Greek word....an argument that does not take away GMark linking the name 'Simon' to 'Cyrene'.

Arguments over 'country, home farm, farmstead, country seat, dwelling place or field' do not minimize the relevance of GMark's linking the name 'Simon' to 'Cyrene' to the gospel passion narrative.

''historical triggers' - your not interested. OK - each to their own....