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Joseph of Arimathea: Difference between revisions
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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.<ref>Sebastian Evans, trans., ''The High History of the Holy Grail'' (London: J.M. Dent & Co., 1903), p. 379.</ref></blockquote> | <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.<ref>Sebastian Evans, trans., ''The High History of the Holy Grail'' (London: J.M. Dent & Co., 1903), p. 379.</ref></blockquote> | ||
Scholars point to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus<ref>Also known as the Acts of Pilate.</ref> 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<ref>Also known as the Acts of Pilate.</ref> 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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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.<ref>Ibid., p. 30.</ref></blockquote> | <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.<ref>Ibid., p. 30.</ref></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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More specifically, the French tradition, according to Taylor, says: | More specifically, the French tradition, according to Taylor, says: | ||
<blockquote>After the first persecution, when St. James was slain by the sword, those who had followed him were thrust into a boat, without oars or sails, on the coast of Palestine somewhere near to Mount Carmel, and so got rid of. In the boat were: St. Mary, wife of Cleopas, St. Salome (often called St. Mary Salome also), St. [[Mary Magdalene]], St. Martha, and with the two latter was their maid Marcella. They were accompanied by the following men: Lazarus, Joseph of Arimathea, Trophimius, Maximin, Cleon, Eutropius, Sidonius (Restitutus, “the man born blind”), Martial, and Saturnius.<ref>Ibid., p. 126.</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>After the first persecution, when St. James was slain by the sword, those who had followed him were thrust into a boat, without oars or sails, on the coast of Palestine somewhere near to Mount Carmel, and so got rid of. In the boat were: St. Mary, wife of Cleopas, St. Salome (often called St. Mary Salome also), St. [[Magda|Mary Magdalene]], St. Martha, and with the two latter was their maid Marcella. They were accompanied by the following men: Lazarus, Joseph of Arimathea, Trophimius, Maximin, Cleon, Eutropius, Sidonius (Restitutus, “the man born blind”), Martial, and Saturnius.<ref>Ibid., p. 126.</ref></blockquote> | ||
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: | ||
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The traditions of Joseph in Cornwall and the mining districts do not point to any permanent resting place. The weight of evidence says his ministry was in Glastonbury, site of an ancient Christian abbey, home of Grail legends and, incidentally, only twelve miles from the site some archaeologists favor as Arthur’s castle—Cadbury. | The traditions of Joseph in Cornwall and the mining districts do not point to any permanent resting place. The weight of evidence says his ministry was in Glastonbury, site of an ancient Christian abbey, home of Grail legends and, incidentally, only twelve miles from the site some archaeologists favor as Arthur’s castle—Cadbury. | ||
[[File:Glastonbury Lake Village langing stage by Forestier 1911.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Artist’s reconstruction of Glastonbury Lake Village, which flourished from about 50 <small>B</small>.<small>C</small>. to about <small>A</small>.<small>D</small>. 80.]] | |||
== The first settlements at Glastonbury == | == The first settlements at Glastonbury == | ||
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== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
Elizabeth Clare Prophet, ''Mysteries of the Holy Grail'' (1985), sections on “Following the Grail” and “Legends of the Boy Jesus in Britain.” | |||
<references /> | <references /> | ||