Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea
All that is known for certain concerning him is derived from the canonical Gospels. He was born at Arimathea — hence his surname — “a city of Judea” (Luke 23:51), which is very likely identical with Ramatha, the birthplace of the Prophet Samuel, although several scholars prefer to identify it with the town of Ramleh. He was a wealthy Israelite (Matthew 27:57), “a good and a just man” (Luke 23:50), “who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43). He is also called by St. Mark and by St. Luke a bouleutes, literally, “a senator”, whereby is meant a member of the Sanhedrin or supreme council of the Jews. He was a disciple of Jesus, probably ever since Christ’s first preaching in Judea (John 2:23), but he did not declare himself as such “for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38). On account of this secret allegiance to Jesus, he did not consent to His condemnation by the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:51), and was most likely absent from the meeting which sentenced Jesus to death (cf. Mark 14:64).
The Crucifixion of the Master quickened Joseph’s faith and love, and suggested to him that he should provide for Christ’s burial before the Sabbath began. Unmindful therefore of all personal danger, a danger which was indeed considerable under the circumstances, he boldly requested from Pilate the Body of Jesus, and was successful in his request (Mark 15:43-45). Once in possession of this sacred treasure, he — together with Nicodemus, whom his courage had likewise emboldened, and who brought abundant spices — wrapped up Christ’s Body in fine linen and grave bands, laid it in his own tomb, new and yet unused, and hewn out of a rock in a neighbouring garden, and withdrew after rolling a great stone to the opening of the sepulchre (Matthew 27:59, 60; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53; John 19:38-42). Thus was fulfilled Isaiah’s prediction that the grave of the Messias would be with a rich man (Isaiah 53:9). The Greek Church celebrates the feast of Joseph of Arimathea on 31 July, and the Roman Church on 17 March. The additional details which are found concerning him in the apocryphal “Acta Pilati”, are unworthy of credence. Likewise fabulous is the legend which tells of his coming to Gaul A.D. 63, and thence to Great Britain, where he is supposed to have founded the earliest Christian oratory at Glastonbury. Finally, the story of the translation of the body of Joseph of Arimathea from Jerusalem to Moyenmonstre (Diocese of Toul) originated late and is unreliable.
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FRANCIS E. GIGOT Transcribed by Mike McLeod
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIIICopyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA
Among the members of the Jewish Council that condemned Jesus to death were at least two who disagreed with the decision. One was Nicodemus (cf. Joh 7:50-51), the other a man named Joseph who came from the Judean village of Arimathea (Luk 23:50-51; Joh 19:38-39).
Joseph was a just and righteous man, well respected, wealthy, and a follower of Jesus (Mat 27:57; Mar 15:43; Luk 23:50). Though he feared the Jews, he was bold enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus so that he might give Jesus an honourable burial. With Nicodemus he took the body down from the cross, anointed it with spices, wrapped it in linen and placed it in the tomb that he had prepared for himself (Mat 27:58-60; Joh 19:38-42).
Fuente: Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Joseph of Arimathea
The name Arimathea denotes probably the place where Joseph was born, not that where he resided [ARIMATHEA].
Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus’an honorable counselor, who waited for the kingdom of God’ (Mar 15:43), and who, on learning the death of our Lord, ‘came and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.’ Pilate having learned from the centurion, who commanded at the execution, that Jesus ‘was actually dead,’ gave the body to Joseph, who took it down and wrapped his deceased Lord in fine linen which he had purchased for the purpose; after which he laid the corpse in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher (Mar 15:43 sq.). From the parallel passages in Matthew (Mat 27:58 sq.), Luke (Luk 23:50 seq.) and John (Joh 19:38 seq.), it appears that the body was previously embalmed at the cost of another secret disciple, Nicodemus, and that the sepulcher was new, ‘wherein never man before was laid;’ also that it lay in a garden, and was the property of Joseph himself. This garden was ‘in the place where Jesus was crucified.’ Luke describes the character of Joseph as ‘a good man and a just,’ adding, that ‘he had not consented to the counsel and deed of them,’ i.e. of the Jewish authorities. From this remark it is clear that Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrim: a conclusion which is corroborated by the epithet ‘counselor,’ applied to him by both Luke and Mark. Tradition represents Joseph as having been one of the Seventy, and as having first preached the Gospel in our own country.