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Joseph of Arimathea: Difference between revisions
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When the Roman soldier Longinus pierced Jesus’ side with a lance, Joseph raised the cup and caught the sacred blood which flowed from the wound. (According to John 19:34, there flowed therefrom water and blood.) Joseph preserved the cup and its contents, and the Grail became his guardian and comforter. | When the Roman soldier Longinus pierced Jesus’ side with a lance, Joseph raised the cup and caught the sacred blood which flowed from the wound. (According to John 19:34, there flowed therefrom water and blood.) Joseph preserved the cup and its contents, and the Grail became his guardian and comforter. | ||
Earlier sources for the Grail romances | |||
== Earlier sources for the Grail romances == | |||
Most of the authors of the Grail romances cite earlier manuscripts as their sources. There are no written sources extant, but there is evidence—hints from other works—that sources existed. Most of the authors cite earlier manuscripts as their sources. | Most of the authors of the Grail romances cite earlier manuscripts as their sources. There are no written sources extant, but there is evidence—hints from other works—that sources existed. Most of the authors cite earlier manuscripts as their sources. | ||
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The author of ''Perlesvaus'' [also known as ''The High History of the Holy Grail''] ended his account with the paragraph: | The author of ''Perlesvaus'' [also known as ''The High History of the Holy Grail''] ended his account with the paragraph: | ||
<blockquote>The Latin from whence this history was drawn into Romance was taken in the Isle of Avalon, in a holy house of religion that standeth at the head of the Moors Adventurous, there where King Arthur and Queen Guenievre lie, according to the witness of the good men religious that are therein, that have the whole history thereof, true from the beginning even to the end.</blockquote> | |||
Scholars point to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus as a source of de Boron’s Joseph of Arimathea. It was probably written in Greek sometime after the second century but certainly no later than the fifth century. | Scholars point to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus as a source of de Boron’s Joseph of Arimathea. It was probably written in Greek sometime after the second century but certainly no later than the fifth century. | ||
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Reverend Lionel Smithett Lewis, late vicar of Glastonbury, wrote: | Reverend Lionel Smithett Lewis, late vicar of Glastonbury, wrote: | ||
<blockquote>Vincent Belovacensis in his ''Speculum Historiale'',... under the year <small>A</small>.<small>D</small>. 719, also tells of a hermit in Britain who had a vision of St. Joseph of Arimathea and the Holy Grail. There is some persistently lingering memory of a hermit in connection with the Holy Grail.</blockquote> | |||
In the thirteenth century, Helinandus of Froidmont made a convincing citation: | In the thirteenth century, Helinandus of Froidmont made a convincing citation: | ||
<blockquote>I could not find this story written in Latin but it can be found, in French only, in the possession of a few nobles, and it is said not to be easy to find it in complete form.</blockquote> | |||
J. Bale’s Illustrium maioris Britanniae scriptorum summarium, published in 1548, references an earlier work similar to that of Helinandus. | J. Bale’s Illustrium maioris Britanniae scriptorum summarium, published in 1548, references an earlier work similar to that of Helinandus. | ||
<blockquote>A British hermit of unknown name, born in Wales and living there, who after the manner of the bards of that region had devoted his entire life to the study of the science of the stars and of history, assembled the notable events that had taken place in his fatherland and wrote them down with no mean labour. He wrote chiefly of the famous British King Arthur and his Round Table. He also had much to tell of Lancelot, Morgan, Percival, Gauvain, Bertram and other valiant men.... The work is known in a language unknown to me. The Holy Grail, Book I. I have seen fragments of the work. According to Vincent it was famous in the time of Ina, King of the West Saxons, somewhere around 720.</blockquote> | |||
Ina, ruler of Wessex from 688 to 728, was a promoter of Christianity who united the British church with the Roman church. | Ina, ruler of Wessex from 688 to 728, was a promoter of Christianity who united the British church with the Roman church. | ||
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== Local traditions connecting Joseph of Arimathea with Glastonbury == | == Local traditions connecting Joseph of Arimathea with Glastonbury == | ||
Ancient and deep-rooted traditions say that Joseph came to Glastonbury. They say that he, with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and eleven other companions were cast adrift without sail or oars near Caesarea, a city north of Jerusalem, by the Sanhedrin. They came ashore safely at the North African city of Cyrene where they obtained sails and oars. Following Phoenician trade routes, they | Ancient and deep-rooted traditions say that Joseph came to Glastonbury. They say that he, with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and eleven other companions were cast adrift without sail or oars near Caesarea, a city north of Jerusalem, by the Sanhedrin. They came ashore safely at the North African city of Cyrene where they obtained sails and oars. Following Phoenician trade routes, they traveled to Marseilles. Crossing France to the Atlantic coast, they continued onward by the trade routes to Cornwall. | ||
They then, by one account, traveled overland from Cornwall or, by another, sailed around Land’s End on the southwestern tip of England, followed the west coast of Britain north to the Severn Sea, entered the estuaries of the Parrett and Brue rivers, and sailed twelve miles inward on the Brue, arriving at a cluster of islands which, according to tradition, was Joseph’s destination—Glastonbury. | They then, by one account, traveled overland from Cornwall or, by another, sailed around Land’s End on the southwestern tip of England, followed the west coast of Britain north to the Severn Sea, entered the estuaries of the Parrett and Brue rivers, and sailed twelve miles inward on the Brue, arriving at a cluster of islands which, according to tradition, was Joseph’s destination—Glastonbury. | ||
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<blockquote>In this church they worshipped and taught the people the true Christian faith. After about fifteen years Mary died and was buried at Glastonbury. The disciples died in succession and were buried in the cemetery.</blockquote> | <blockquote>In this church they worshipped and taught the people the true Christian faith. After about fifteen years Mary died and was buried at Glastonbury. The disciples died in succession and were buried in the cemetery.</blockquote> | ||
Another story is that King Arthur was related to Joseph of Arimathea. Reverend Lewis in his book ''St. Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury'' quotes historian John of Glastonbury, who traces the lineage of Arthur through his mother, Ygerna, to her father and grandfather, Lambord, to Manuel, Castellors, Aminadab, Josue, and finally back to Helaios—the “Nepos” of Joseph. According to Lewis | Another story is that King Arthur was related to Joseph of Arimathea. Reverend Lewis in his book ''St. Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury'' quotes historian John of Glastonbury, who traces the lineage of Arthur through his mother, Ygerna, to her father and grandfather, Lambord, to Manuel, Castellors, Aminadab, Josue, and finally back to Helaios—the “Nepos” of Joseph. According to Lewis: | ||
<blockquote>One should add that, while “Nepos” often means grandson, it may merely mean kinsman.... It is said that every one of the twelve Knights of the Round Table was descended from St. Joseph.</blockquote> | |||
== Early Christian sources on Joseph of Arimathea == | == Early Christian sources on Joseph of Arimathea == | ||
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The apocryphal Acts of Magdalen, or Life of St. Mary Magdalene, compiled in the eighth or ninth century by Rabanus Maurus, archbishop of Mainz, gives confirmation to the story: | The apocryphal Acts of Magdalen, or Life of St. Mary Magdalene, compiled in the eighth or ninth century by Rabanus Maurus, archbishop of Mainz, gives confirmation to the story: | ||
<blockquote>Leaving the shores of Asia ... they came near to the city of Marseilles, in the Viennoise Province of Gaul, where the river Rhone is received by the sea. There, having called upon God, the King of all the world, they parted; each company going to the province where the Holy Spirit had directed them; presently preaching everywhere, “the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”<blockquote> | <blockquote>Leaving the shores of Asia ... they came near to the city of Marseilles, in the Viennoise Province of Gaul, where the river Rhone is received by the sea. There, having called upon God, the King of all the world, they parted; each company going to the province where the Holy Spirit had directed them; presently preaching everywhere, “the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”</blockquote> | ||
== Traditions in the south of France == | == Traditions in the south of France == | ||
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== For more information == | == For more information == | ||
E. Raymond Capt, The Traditions of Glastonbury (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Artisan Sales, 1983). | E. Raymond Capt, ''The Traditions of Glastonbury'' (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Artisan Sales, 1983). | ||
Lionel Smithett Lewis, St. Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury (Cambridge: James Clarke & Co., 1955). | Lionel Smithett Lewis, ''St. Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury'' (Cambridge: James Clarke & Co., 1955). | ||
C. C. Dobson, Did Our Lord Visit Britain As They Say in Cornwall and Somerset? (Durham, U.K.: Covenant Publishing Co., 2009.) | C. C. Dobson, ''Did Our Lord Visit Britain As They Say in Cornwall and Somerset?'' (Durham, U.K.: Covenant Publishing Co., 2009.) | ||
George F. Jowett, The Drama of the Lost Disciples (Durham, U.K.: Covenant Publishing Co., 2011). | George F. Jowett, ''The Drama of the Lost Disciples'' (Durham, U.K.: Covenant Publishing Co., 2011). | ||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||