- "The story goes that Joseph of Arimathaea left the Holy Land shortly after the Resurrection of the Savior, and came to Britain as a missionary in about A.D. 37... bringing with him two cruets, containing the water that flowed from the side of Christ when it was pierced by the Spear of Longinus at the time of the Crucifixion and the blood from the wounds that were opened when the nails were removed after He was taken from the cross."
- ―Henry Walton Jones, Sr.[src]
Joseph of Arimathea was a Judean man who lived in the first century AD.
Biography[]
According to the Bible, Joseph was a wealthy man from the Judean town of Arimathea who donated his newly-built tomb for the burial of the crucified Jesus Christ. Medieval lore later placed Joseph as the first keeper of the Holy Grail[1], the man that collected the blood of Christ[2] and who brought Christianity to Great Britain.[1]
Legend held that Joseph arrived in the area of Glastonbury and was connected to the growth of the Holy Thorn and was also connected to the Chalice Well. Below the Lady Chapel at Glastonbury Abbey was an older chapel, dedicated to Saint Joseph.[3]
Legacy[]
In 1163 Saint Hildegard of Bingen saw a vision of Joseph next to the cross, collecting Christ's blood in a chalice.[4]
It was believed that Joseph wrote the Gospel of Joseph of Arimathea. Such a document was discovered in Kozra by Dr. Robert Hawes in 1927, but its authenticity was disputed.[4]
Behind the scenes[]
Joseph of Arimathea captures the blood of Christ with the Holy Grail.
The comic Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny spells Arimathea in several ways: Aramethea and Arimathaea.[3]
The junior novelization of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade claims that the person shown capturing Christ's blood with the grail is Ecclesia.[5] However, other sources, such as The Ultimate Guide[6] and Rob MacGregor's novelization of the film identify the figure as that of Joseph of Arimathea.[7]
Appearances[]
- Indiana Jones Jr et le Fantôme du Klondike (Mentioned only)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Pictured only)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade novel (Pictured only)
- Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- "Lost in the Mists of Time: The Muddled Myths of the Holy Grail" – The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 8 (as Joseph of Armathea)
- Grail Diary
- The Byzantine Crusader
- Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Templars
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
