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Joseph of Arimathea
The Joseph from Arimathea presented in the biblical gospels was a secret “disciple of Jesus” (Matthew 27:57). He was a wealthy member of the Sandhedrin (the Jewish court and council in Jerusalem, which consisted of seventy religious and political leaders, mostly priests). He is described in the book of Luke as a “good and upright man” who “did not consent to their decision and action” (to kill Jesus). Later Joseph obtained Pilate’s permission to remove Jesus’ body from the cross and place it in a new tomb (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42).
Joseph of Arimathea is given a significant but short role in Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, as he refuses to be involved in the trial against Jesus and raises his voice in protest. Not all the Jewish leaders, as Joseph of Arimathea shows, called for Jesus’ death.