Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea

Narratio Iosephi de Arimathaea

Standard abbreviation: Jos. Arim.

Other titles: Declaration of Joseph of Arimathea

Clavis numbers: ECCA 274; CANT 76

VIAF: 21041196 (Joseph of Arimathea), 61400925 (Dismas, Saint)

Category: Pilate Cycle

Related literature: Acts of Pilate, On the Funeral of Jesus, Story of Joseph of Arimathea, Testament of Solomon

Compiled by: Mark G. Bilby, independent scholar (mgb8n at virginia dot edu).

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Bilby, Mark G. “Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/narrative-of-joseph-of-arimathea/.

Created June 2021. Current as of October 2022.

1. SUMMARY

Jos. Arim. begins with Joseph of Arimathea introducing himself as the narrator who had begged the body of Jesus and who had been thrown into prison for this pious deed. The antagonists next appear on stage as the keepers of the law who act “for Moses himself” and yet still did not recognize the Lawgiver and who thus crucified God. Next in the introductions come the two co-crucified bandits, who are here named as Gestas and Demas. Gestas embodies the most horrific abuses of banditry, while Demas stands as a noble bandit who steals from the rich, gives to the poor, and like Tobit piously buries bodies. According to this narrative, the pious deeds of Demas even included the theft of the law from the “sanctuary” in “Jerusalem,” the defrocking of the daughter of Caiaphas (the sanctuary’s priestess) and the pillaging of a certain “mystical deposit of Solomon” previously housed there. Jericho is apparently home to Demas, where he works as an innkeeper.

With the main characters established, the dramatic setting comes into relief: the arrest of Jesus three days before the Passover. Judas Iscariot, having been planted and paid to spy on Jesus during the prior two years, accuses Jesus of the pillaging of the sanctuary. Nicodemus voices his opposition, while Sarra, the daughter of Caiaphas, who is considered a “prophetess” by the people, charges that Jesus claimed he would “destroy the temple” and “raise it in three days.” Jesus is interrogated the following day by Annas and Caiaphas, but responds with silence. That night, the people call for Sarra to be executed because she had allowed the law to be stolen, making it impossible for the Jews to keep Passover (!). But Annas and Caiaphas pay Judas again to blame Jesus for this. Judas asks for Jesus to be released to allow Judas the time needed to convince the crowd of his case, and they grant his request. Judas makes arrangements for Jesus’ arrest by soldiers that evening. Again Jesus is questioned and remains silent, while Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea withdraw from this “council of the wicked.”

After a night of “many other terrible things,” on Passover morning they hand Jesus over to Pilate the governor to be crucified. Skipping quickly past the trial before Pilate, the narrative tersely relates Pilate’s order for Jesus to be crucified along with two bandits. When the crucifixion happens, Gestas is on the left and Demas on the right. The story elaborates quite a bit on the abusive speech of Gestas toward Jesus. It expands even more greatly on the penitent and laudatory speech of Demas toward Jesus, including Demas’ vision of Gestas’ soul being taken by the devil and Moses and the patriarchs being subjected to the devil in an afterlife place of weeping. The promissory response of Jesus also proves elaborate, granting Demas exclusive access to paradise until the second coming and entrusting him with a written letter (!) to that effect that he is to give to the cherubim who guard paradise. After this, Jesus commits his spirit and an earthquake collapses the “sanctuary” and “the pinnacle of the temple.”

Joseph of Arimathea begs the body of Jesus and places it in a tomb. Mention is also made that Demas’ body is nowhere to be found, while that of Gestas looks like a “dragon” (!). In consequence of Joseph’s pious burial of Jesus’ body, he is “confined in prison.” Jesus, accompanied by Demas, visits Joseph the next day, filling the house with light, lifting it, and destroying it. Elsewhere Joseph again sees Jesus, and next beholds the bandit, exuding the aroma of paradise and bringing a letter to Jesus. Written by the cherubim who had guarded paradise, it details their astonishment over Jesus’ incarnation and crucifixion, over the way paradise’s flaming sword was extinguished when Jesus’ letter was displayed, and over the trembling of the underworld powers.

Joseph next travels to Galilee in the company of Jesus and Demas and spends three days with them before any disciples arrive, after having witnessed Jesus transformed to become “light throughout” and speaking with angels. When John arrives, Demas suddenly becomes invisible, and John repeatedly implores Jesus to let him see the bandit. The bandit finally appears in the form of a powerful king carrying a cross, accompanied and lauded by “the voice of a huge multitude” who are pledged to serve him. Joseph concludes the narrative with a doxology couched within a statement of purpose, that this story lead people away from serving the “law of Moses” and instead to believe in Jesus and the “signs and wonders” that accompanied him so that they may inherit eternal life.

Named historical figures and characters: Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Annas (scribe/high priest), Caiaphas, Dimas/Dysmas/Demas (Good Thief), Dumachus/Gestas/Kestes (Bad Thief), Isaac (patriarch), Jacob (patriarch), Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), Joseph of Arimathea, Judas Iscariot, Moses (patriarch), Nicodemus, Pontius Pilate, Sara (daughter of Caiaphas), Solomon (king), Tobit.

Geographical locations: Galilee, Hades, Jerusalem, Jericho, temple (Jerusalem).

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Church Slavic

Bucharest, Romanian Academy Library, Collection of the Agapia Monastery, Ms. 28, fols. 56–66 (16th cent.)

Sremski Karlovci, Library of the Patriarchate Court, Codex Inv. Nr. 3473 (16th cent.)

Mostar, Library of the Žitomislić Monastery, Ms. 140 (the entire library was destroyed and plundered in 1992)

Daničić, G. “Dva apokrifina jevangjelja.” Starine 4 (1872): 130–54 (edition of Sremski Karlovci 3473, pp. 149–54).

Otero, Aurelio de Santos. Die handschriftliche Überlieferung der altslavischen Apokryphen. 2 vols. PTS 20 and 23. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1978 and 1981 (manuscripts listed pp. 67–68).

Speranskij, Michail Nestorovič. “Dva teksta.” Pages 39–63 in Izbornik Kievskij. Kyiv: Tip. T. G. Mejnandera, P. A. Barskogo, I. I. Čokolova i Kievo-Pečersk. lavry, 1904 (edition of Žitomislić Monastery 140, pp. 54–63).

3.1.2 Greek (BHG 779r)

A  Milan, Ambrosian Library, E 100 sup., fols. 1^r–4^v (12th cent.)

B  Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 929, pp. 49–63 (1497)

C  Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 770, fols. 20^v–25^r (1315)

D  London, British Library, Harley 5636, fols. 33^r–41^v (14th cent.)

Additional Greek manuscript:

Z  Rome,  Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Vittorio Emanuele II, Gr. 20, fols. 109^v–113^v (15th cent.)

Five manuscripts the so-called Narratio Iosephi rescripta, which all include portions of the Greek Acts of Pilate (chs. 1-2, 5-8):

H  Athens, Ethnikē bibliothēkē tēs hellados, 352, fols. 150–172 (17th cent.)

I  Istanbul, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Theologikē scholē, gr. 100 (92), fols. 202^r–222^v (16th cent.)

J  Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Hagiou Saba, 422, fols. 3–10 (16th cent.)

P1  Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 947 (olim 1574), fols. 115^v–133^r (1574)

P2  Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 1021, fols. 347^r–367^r (15th/16th cent.)

Birch, Andreas. Auctarium codicis apocryphi Novi Testamenti. Copenhagen: Arntzen & Hartier, 1804 (edition based on Paris, gr. 770, pp. 183–94).

Ehrman, Bart and Zlatko Pleše. The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations. Pages 569–85 in The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011 (Greek text from Tischendorf with facing English translation).

Tischendorf, Constantin von. Evangelia Apocrypha. Leipzig: Mendelssohn, 1853; 2nd ed. 1876 (edition based on manuscripts A to D, pp. 459–70).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Cowper, B. Harris. The Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ. 4th ed. 1867. London: Frederic Norgate, 1874 (English translation of Tischendorf’s edition, pp. 420–31).

Ehrman, Bart and Zlatko Pleše. The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations. Pages 569–85 in The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011 (Greek text from Tischendorf with facing English translation).

Elliott, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993 (summary, pp. 217–22).

Gathercole, Simon. The Apocryphal Gospels. London: Penguin Books, 2021 (English translation of Tischendorf’s edition, pp. 240–49).

James, Montague Rhodes. The Apocryphal New Testament: Being the Apocryphal Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses. Oxford: Clarendon, 1924; corrected edition, 1953 (pp. 161–65).

Walker, Alexander. Apocryphal Gospels, Acts and Revelations. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1873. Repr. as vol. 16 of The Ante-Nicene Christian Library. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. 24 vols. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1867–1883 (English translation of Tischendorf’s edition, pp. 237–44).

Westcott, Arthur. The Gospel of Nicodemus and Kindred Documents. London: Heath, Cranton & Ouseley, Ltd., 1915 (pp. 136–45).

3.2.2 French

Frey, Albert, and Bernard Outtier. “Déclaration de Joseph d’Arimathée.” Pages 329–54 in vol. 2 of Écrits apocryphes chrétiennes. Edited by Pierre Geoltrain and Jean-Daniel Kaestli. Bibliothèque de la Pléiade 515. Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 2005 (translation based on Tischendorf’s edition).

Migne, Jacques-Paul. Dictionnaire des Apocryphes. 2 vols. 1856. Repr., Turnhout: Brepols, 1989 (vol. 2, cols. 433–38).

3.2.3 Italian

Craveri, Marcello. I Vangeli Apocrifi. Torino: Giulio Einardi, 1969 (pp. 401–409).

Erbetta, Mario. Gli Apocrifi del nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. in 4. Turin: Marietti, 1966–1981 (vol. 1.2, pp. 397–401).

Moraldi, Luigi. Apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 2 vols. Classici delle Religioni 24.5. Turin: Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1971 (vol. 1, pp. 683–92)

3.2.3. Spanish

Otero, Aurelio de Santos. Los Evangelios Apócrifos.  Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Christianos, 1979³ (text of Tischenforf and Spanish translation, pp. 501–12).

3.3 General Works

Aragione, Gabriella. “Le bon larron et le vol de la Loi dans la Déclaration de Joseph d’Arimathée”. Pages 229–45 in La littérature apocryphe chrétienne et les Écritures juives. Edited by Rémi Gounelle and Benoît Mournier. Prahins: Éditions du Zèbre, 2015.

Bilby, Mark G. “The Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea.” Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity [forthcoming].

———. As the Bandit Will I Confess You: Luke 23, 39–43 in Early Christian Interpretation. Strasbourg: University of Strasbourg; Turnhout: Brepols, 2013 (A critical overview of early Christian interpretation of the so-called good bandit up to 450 CE).

Dobschütz, Ernst von. “Joseph von Arimathia.” ZKG 23 (1902): 1–17.

Furrer, Christiane. “La recension grecque ancienne Des Acts de Pilate.” Apocrypha 21 (2010): 11-30.

Gounelle, Rémi. “À propose d’une refonte de la Narratio Iosephi, jadis confondue avec les Acta Pilati, et d’un drame religeux qu’elle a inspiré.” Apocrypha 5 (1994): 165–88.

O’Ceallaigh, G. C. “Dating the Commentaries of Nicodemus.” HTR 56.1 (1963): 21–58.

Rice, Bradley N. “The Story of Joseph of Arimathea: A New Translation and Introduction.” Pages 160–87 in vol. 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Edited by Tony Burke (and Brent Landau, vol. 1). 3 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016–2023 (see p. 165).

Rilliet, Frédéric. “Une homélie pseudo-Chrysostomienne sur le dernier samedi de carême.” Rivisti degli studi orientali 54 (1980): 15–28.

Schärtl, Monika “Die sonstige Pilatusliteratur.” Pages 262–79 in vol. 1 of Antike christliche Apokryphen in deutscher Übersetzung. 2 vols. AcA I/1–2. Edited by Christoph Markschies and Jens Schröter. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012.

van den Broek, Roelof. Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Life and the Passion of Christ: A Coptic Apocryphon. Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae 118. Leiden, Boston: Brills, 2013.

Variot, Jean. Les évangiles apocryphes: Histoire littéraire, forme primitive, transformations. Paris: Berche & Tralin, 1878 (pp. 125–31).