JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA. The disciple of -Jesus who provided for His burial. Arimathea was probably the village of Rainathaim, near Lydda (cf. I. Mac. xi. 34). Joseph is mentioned in the New Testament only in connection with the entombment of Jesus. The Four Evangelists record in general agreement that Joseph came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and that the body, after it had been prepared for burial, was placed in a new tomb. Mark calls .Joseph a `noble councilor' (which may mean simply, a man of noble rank) ; suggests his courage in making the daring request of the Procurator; and states that he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Matthew does not call him a councilor, but says that he was rich and had become a disciple. Luke interprets 'councilor' to mean that Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, and adds that he was a good and just man, and that he had not assented to the action of the Sanhedrin. John qualifies Matthew's remark
about discipleship by observing that he was a dis ciple in secret only, for fear of the Jews; and then adds significantly that it was Nicodemus 1010 brought the myrrh and aloes (xix. 39) and that he assisted Joseph in the preparations for entombment. These differences in the accounts have been thought to indicate that John combines two originally different traditions, one that Jesus was buried by Joseph, a man of noble rank, wealthy, and owner of a tomb near Jerusalem; the other that it was Nicodemus, a well-known Pharisee, friendly, howeter, to Jesus, a member of the Sanhedrin, who buried Him. The differ ences, however. do not definitely prove the hypo thesis. According to tradition. Joseph went as missionary to Gaul and Britain and built the first Christian oratory in the latter country on the site of Glastonbury.