JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA. The name Arimathea denotes probably the place where Joseph was born, not that where he resided. We make this remark because Michaelis (Begraniss und auferstehungs-gesch. Christi, p. 44, translated into English) states it as his opinion that it was un likely that Joseph possessed a burial-place in or near Jerusalem, since that city was not his ordinary abode. So easy is it to be led away by modern associations in interpreting the Scripture that even a man of Michaelis' learning could allow Germany to overpower Palestine, and modern days to give their colouring to ancient ones, and thus hold that of Arimathea ' must of necessity denote the resi dence and not the birth-place of Joseph ; whereas a little reflection might have taught him that in a measure in his own times, and fully so in the days of our Lord, such a form of speech indicated rather a man's birth-place than his customary abode.
Arimathea lay in the territory of Benjamin, on the mountain range of Ephraim, at no great dis tance south of Jerusalem ( Josh. xviii. 25 ; Judg. iv. 5), not far from Gibeah (Judg. xix. 13 ; Is. x. 29 ; Hos. v. 8).
Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus— ` an honourable counsellor (Ooacurhs), who waited for the kingdom of God' (Mark xv. 43/5 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 sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre (Mark xv. 43, sq.)
From the parallel passages in Matthew (xxvii. 57, seq.), Luke (xxiii. 5o, seq.), and John (xix. 38, sq.), it appears that the body was previously em balmed at the cost of another secret disciple, Nicodemus, and that the sepulchre 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 ` counsellor,' applied to him by both Luke and Mark. Whether or not Joseph was a priest, as Lightfoot (Hor. Heb. p. 669) thought, there is not evidence to determine. Various opinions as to his social condition may be found in Thiess (Krit. Comment. ii. 149). Tradition represents Joseph as having been one of the Seventy, and as having first preached the Gospel in our own country (Ittip-, Diss. de Pat. Apostol., sec. 13 Assemani, Orient. iii. 1. 319, sey.) [GoLGoTHA.]—J. R. B.