Detering suggests that the persons caring for the imprisoned Peregrinus were Marcionite Christians.^ However, Bremmer argues convincingly that the Christian community around Peregrinus was Judaeo-Christian.^ Marcion separated Jewish scripture from Christian scripture and interpreted Jewish scripture in a highly spiritual way that disengaged it from daily life. Thus Marcion’s beliefs would have been relatively unappealing to Jewish Christians. In addition, Lucian’s description of Peregrinus as “Head of the Synagogue” is unlikely for a leader of Marcionite Christians.

Lucian’s received text states that Peregrinus as a youth committed adultery in Armenia. That’s far from Parium (Parion), Peregrinus’ birthplace. Detering observes that Armenia Minor was part of the Province of Pontus and suggests that Peregrinus’ time in Armenia may explain Marcion’s surname Ponticus.^ Rigsby, however, argues convincingly that the reference to Armenia in Lucian’s text is a scribal error associated with a marginal gloss for “canon of Polyclitus.”^