How was Joseph of Arimathea connected to the crucifixion?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:

Joseph of Arimathea provided a tomb for Jesus of Narzreth. Joseph of Arimethea is said to have been a high-level Jew in Jerusalem. He is said to have been a member of "the council;" that council probably was the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin condemned Jesus, and sent Jesus to the Romans, who condemned Jesus to die on the cross.

The sources here are the Christian Gospels. The Gospel of Luke (I think), tells us that J. of A. was a "good and just" man, implying that J. of A. was on Jesus's side. Beyond the Gospels, look at legends.

Legends tell us that Joseph of Arimethea traveled to Britain after Jesus died and rose. Legends tell us that J. of A. took the Holy Grail to Britain. The Holy Grail is the cup Jesus drank from on his last night before the Romans crucified him. This legend ties in with the legends of King Arthur and the Round Table, legends about the Knights of the Round Table who searched for the Holy Grail.

Other legends tell us that the Holy Grail really was Mary Magdelene, one of Jesus's followers. Legends say that she was his wife. This connects with The DaVinci Code, a popular book and movie during the early 21st Century CE, based on earlier ideas.

Nobody knows exactly where Arimethea was, although authorities agree that Arimethea was a town somewhere in Israel.

Another Answer

The gospels tell us that Joseph of Arimathea was an influential Jew who had Jesus' body taken down off the cross and placed in a tomb, which he had in anticipation of his own death. Mark's Gospel, as the original New Testament gospel, says that Joseph was an honourable counsellor. Matthew says that he was a rich man and a disciple of Jesus. Luke follows Mark in describing Joseph as a counsellor, but adds that he had not consented to the counsel and deed of them, suggesting that he might have been a member of the Sanhedrin that tried Jesus. Johnsays simply that Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews.

The identity of Joseph is tied up with the town of Arimathea, which must be quite close to Jerusalem. We should therefore be able to find the town of Arimathea, yet it remains as much a mystery as ever. Theologians are sure that it was just to the north-west of Jerusalem, but there is no archaeological evidence for it. Some scholars even note that Arimathea means 'Best Disciple Town' in Greek, and suggest that this name was originally created in Mark's Gospel to show that Joseph was a better disciple than the twelve apostles. On this view, Joseph was a metaphor or allegory.

Answer 2

Joseph of Arimathea is not mentioned in the gospels, other than for his willingness to risk his own position and perhaps his life by taking down the body of Jesus and having it interred in his own tomb. Even the town of Arimathea is a mystery, although some theologians believe it could have been somewhere just to the north-west of Jerusalem.

Matthew's Gospel says that Joseph was a rich man and a disciple of Jesus. Mark's Gospel says that Joseph was an honourable counsellor, as does Luke's Gospel. John's Gospel simply says that Joseph was a disciple of Jesus.

Denis R. MacDonald (The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark) presents a strong case for the gospels being modelled on the Homeric epics (Iliad and the Oddessey) and says that Joseph is a type of Priam, who rescued the body of Hector for burial in a similar way. Some point out that the word Arimathea could mean "best disciple town", and that Joseph was the best disciple because only he was with Jesus to the end.

Answer 3

A:It is fascinating how, over time, every character in the New Testament is claimed as a visitor to far-flung places in the Roman Empire and beyond. Since the second century, considerable legendary detail accumulated around Joseph of Arimathea, with him eventually becoming the legendary keeper of the holy Grail and travelling to Britain.

Even the existence and historicity of Joseph of Arimathea have been questioned. No other ancient source mentions Arimathea, and all attempts to locate the town have been unsuccessful, although there have been various pious suggestions. 'Arimathea' could mean 'Best disciple town' in Greek, consistent with Mark's technique of highlighting significant issues in the gospel story. All the disciples had deserted Jesus and only Joseph of Arimathea stood by him. On this view, Joseph, the 'best disciple', was symbolic of the failure of the twelve disciples but he and Arimathea never really existed.

Answer 4

A:When the author of Mark's Gospel first wrote of Joseph of Arimathea, he merely called him an honourable counsellor, perhaps meaning that he was a member of the Sanhedrin Council. Luke's Gospel follows Mark, adding that Joseph had tried to prevent the trial of Jesus. But Matthew and John both add that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus - a secret disciple in John's case.

Answer 5

A:

We have in the gospels four different opinions of the involvement of Joseph of Arimathea with Jesus:

• What we now know to be the original gospel account, in Mark's Gospel, says that he was an honourable member of the Council that tried Jesus.
• Matthew's Gospel instead says Joseph was Jesus' disciple.
• Luke's Gospel says that Joseph was a councillor, but had not consented to the verdict against Jesus.
• In John's Gospel, Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of Jesus.

finds these different views irreconcilable. He says if Joseph of Arimathea was in the council, he was against Jesus, but if he was for Jesus, he was not in the council. Besides, he says, if Joseph buried Jesus from piety or duty, he would have done the same for the two crucified criminals, yet if he did that there could be no empty-tomb sequence. Crossan says there is no pre-Markan tradition and believes that Mark created the burial by Joseph of Arimathea in 15:42-47. The original was altered by each of the other evangelists in an attempt to provide a more satisfying explanation.

Answer 6

Joseph's birthplace, Arimathea, has not be located, although some have made educated guesses. Logically, it should be in Judea, and close to Jerusalem, since there would be no point in a wealthy Arimathean having a tomb in Jerusalem, waiting for his own funeral, unless he could expect his body to be carried there for burial.

MacDonald has suggested that the reason Arimathea can not be found is that the town never really existed. He points out that Arimathea could be translated from Greek as "best disciple town", a typical Marcan play on words, indicating that the other disciples had deserted Jesus and only Joseph was prepared to associate himself with Jesus at a time of great danger.

Answer 7

No one knows where Arimathea was, although if Joseph really had a tomb prepared for himself in Jerusalem, it should have been a town quite close by. The earliest reference to Joseph of Arimathea is in Mark 15:43 , which simply says that he was an honourable counsellor and presumably elderly, as he was "waiting for the kingdom of God." Matthew 27:57 elaborates this, describing Joseph as a rich man and disciple of Jesus. Although Luke's Gospel does not claim that Joseph was either rich or a disciple of Jesus, it does say that he was a good and just man who had tried to prevent the trial of Jesus. Finally, John's gospel says that Joseph was a disciple, but secretly out of fear of his fellow Jews.

Many scholars find reason to doubt the historicity of Joseph of Arimathea. John Dominic Crossan (The Birth of Christianity) says there is no pre-Markan tradition for Joseph of Arimathea and believes that Mark created the burial by Joseph. Perhaps the most compelling reason for the ahistoricity of Joseph and even of the town of Arimathea, is that 'Arimathea' could mean 'Best disciple town' in Greek. In Mark's Gospel, all the disciples had deserted Jesus and only Joseph of Arimathea stood by him. In other words, Joseph was the 'best disciple'.

Answer 8

He was a Pharisee. He was also Jesus' uncle so it would be very very very unlikely to be a Sadduccee.

Answer 9

Another answer from our community:nobody knows.

Answer 10

His own tomb. Joseph let Jesus use it for a weekend.