Joseph of Arimathea
Preserved but no longer current.
The rich Jew, probably a member of the Sanhedrin, who believed in Christ but feared to confess it, and, after the Crucifixion, begged the body of the Saviour and deposited it in his own tomb (see Matt. xxvii, 57-60, Mark xv, 42). Legend relates that he was imprisoned for 42 years, during which time he was kept alive miraculously by the Holy Grail (see GRAIL), and that on his release by Vespasian, about 63 A.D.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Joseph of Arimathea” mean?
The rich Jew, probably a member of the Sanhedrin, who believed in Christ but feared to confess it, and, after the Crucifixion, begged the body of the Saviour and deposited it in his own tomb (see Matt. xxvii, 57-60, Mark xv, 42). Legend relates that he was imprisoned for 42 years, during which time he was kept alive miraculously by the Holy Grail (see GRAIL), and that on his release by Vespasian, about 63 A.D.
Is “Joseph of Arimathea” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.