In John 19:38 he was secretly a disciple of Jesus: as soon as he heard the news of Jesus' death, he "went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus." R.J. Miller[2] notes this act as "unexpected… Is Joseph in effect bringing Jesus into his family?"
Pilate, reassured by a centurion that the death had taken place, allowed Joseph's request. Joseph immediately purchased fine linen (Mark 15:46) and proceeded to Golgotha to take the body of Jesus down from the cross. There, assisted by Nicodemus, Joseph took the body and wrapped it in the fine linen and applied myrrh and aloes (these are substances which Nicodemus had brought, according to John 19:39). Jesus' body then was conveyed to the place that had been prepared for Joseph's own body, a man-made cave hewn from rock in the garden of his house nearby. This was done speedily, "for the Sabbath was drawing on".
According to Roman law, a close family member could come and take away the body of an executed person. But there was no entitlement for a non-relative. There was a risk that a request from a non-relative would be denied and the body dumped, denying it proper burial. Tradition and sentiment also demanded that the body be interred with those of other family members, and not in the tomb of a stranger.
[edit] Veneration
Joseph of Arimathea is venerated as a saint by the Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox and some Anglican churches. His feast-day is March 17 in the West, July 31 in the East and in Lutheran churches.[3] The Orthodox also commemorate him on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers—the third Sunday of Pascha (second Sunday after Easter)—as well as on July 31. He appears in some early New Testament apocrypha, and a series of legends grew around him during the Middle Ages, which tied him to Britain and the Holy Grail. end quote.I had been writing a blog article called: Write About Saint Germain
and I had written how Joseph of Arimathea had taken the Holy Grail to Glastonbury Tor which I found when reading the Wikipedia article on Joseph of Arimathea was connected by legend to him. However, what I had forgotten was that Joseph of Arimathea also asked for Jesus' body from Pontius Pilate and because Joseph Likely was Sanhedrin was given his body. So, when I found all this I thought people might like to know this about him as well. If he was given Jesus' body he might also have been given his effects like his cup or Holy Grail.
Another thought I had was that maybe Joseph of Arimathea was like an uncle, cousin or distant relative of Jesus who because of his powerful status as a Sanhedrin could expect to ask for and receive the body of Jesus, and who then buried Jesus in his own rock hewn tomb from which he resurrected soon after.
There are also other legends that Mary Magdelene traveled with Joseph of Arimathea with the Holy Grail to England to place the cup or Holy Grail there. I suppose it is possible that Jesus secretly gave them both these instructions before he was crucified.
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