Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea stands at the crossroads of scripture and legend. Joseph's story bridges biblical devotion with the imaginative power of the Grail tradition.
Epiquets
Good Soldier
Alternative Names
Giuseppe, Iosepes, Joseph d’Abarimathie, Joseph d’Arimathie, Joseph d’Arrimacie, Jospehe, Yosep
Introduction#
Joseph of Arimathea stands at the crossroads of scripture and legend. In the Gospels he appears briefly yet decisively, as the disciple who provided Christ’s tomb. By the Middle Ages, his figure had grown into one of the great anchors of Arthurian tradition. He was remembered not only as the courageous “Good Soldier” who cared for Christ’s body, but also as the first custodian of the Holy Grail — the vessel that came to embody divine grace in the romances. From this dual identity, Joseph became both saint and pilgrim, linking the Passion of Christ with the legendary destiny of Britain.
Biblical Background#
Joseph of Arimathea appears in all four Gospels as a wealthy and respected member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. Though a secret disciple of Jesus, he publicly stepped forward after the Crucifixion to request Christ’s body from Pontius Pilate. With Nicodemus, he prepared the body for burial and laid it in his own newly-hewn tomb outside Jerusalem (Luke 23:50; John 19:38-42).
This act of courage earned him the title “Good Soldier” in medieval romance (notably Perlesvaus), commemorating his devotion to Christ in a moment of danger and opposition.
Joseph and the Holy Grail#
By the High Middle Ages, Joseph of Arimathea was deeply entwined with Grail lore. Several traditions hold that he obtained the chalice from the Last Supper and caught Christ’s blood at the Crucifixion. This vessel became the Holy Grail.
According to Robert de Boron’s Joseph d’Amathie (early 13th century), Joseph was imprisoned after the Resurrection. There Christ appeared to him, returning the Grail that had slipped from his keeping. Sustained miraculously by the cup, Joseph was eventually freed, and together with his family and followers, journeyed westward.
Some versions place his exile after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, when he and his companions crossed the sea. In later romance, Britain became the Grail’s destination, with Glastonbury Abbey claiming Joseph as its founder.
Missions and Miracles#
According to the romances, Joseph of Arimathea did not journey alone. He was accompanied by his sister Enygeus, her husband Brons – later remembered as the “Rich Fisher” – and their children. From this family line descended the guardians of the Grail, with Brons and his son Alan (Alain le Gros) entrusted with its safekeeping. Joseph himself remained the relic’s first earthly keeper, sanctified by his direct connection to Christ’s Passion.
Later traditions expanded upon this core story with miraculous embellishments. In the Estoire del Saint Graal of the Vulgate Cycle, Joseph and his son Josephe are depicted traveling to Britain, where they convert King Evelake of Sarras. John of Glastonbury, writing in the 14th century, altered the tradition further, claiming that Joseph did not bring the Grail itself, but rather two cruets containing the blood and sweat of Christ. Local Glastonbury lore added still another layer, crediting Joseph with planting the Holy Thorn upon his arrival and burying the Grail at Chalice Well – its reddish waters said to bear witness to the relic’s presence.
Legends of Travel#
Joseph’s wanderings were retold in countless variations across the Middle Ages, each adapting his journey to local geography and devotion. William of Malmesbury’s interpolated History of Glastonbury describes Joseph as sent to Britain by Saint Philip after a mission in Gaul. Other traditions link him with Mary Magdalene and Lazarus, carried together in an oarless boat miraculously guided to Marseilles.
From there, stories spread further. In Spain and Brittany, Joseph was said to have visited Limoges and Aquitaine, and even to have taught Drennalus, remembered as the first bishop of Tréguier. In Britain, Glastonbury tradition held that he eventually settled there, granted land by King Arviragus, and established what was claimed to be the first Christian church on English soil.
Arthurian Tradition#
In the Arthurian romances, Joseph of Arimathea is recast as the pivotal inheritor of sacred history, bringing together the biblical past and Britain’s legendary future. In Robert de Boron’s cycle, he is positioned as the first Grail Keeper, with the line of custody passing through his son Josephe, then Brons, and Alain, before reaching Galahad – the knight destined to attain the Grail. This lineage merges the sacred relics of Christ with the chivalric ideals of Arthur’s court.
Miraculous elements abound in these tales. In some traditions, Joseph and his followers cross the sea bound for Britain not by ship but on the miracle of Josephe’s outspread shirt – a sign of divine guidance. At the climax of the Grail quest, it is said that the spirit of either Joseph of Josephe presides over the Grail Mass, attended by Galahad, Bors, and Perceval – sanctifying the quest with an apostolic blessling.
Other versions of Joseph’s story stray further into symbolism. In the Sone de Nausay, Joseph appears not as a saintly pilgrim but as a king in Norway, punished for pride until he became the Fisher King, condemned to weakness until healed by a knight. This adaption fuses his identity with the wider “Fisher King” tradition, emphasizing the interplay of sin, redemption, and the Grail mythos within his legend.
Descendants and Legacy#
Joseph’s role in Arthurian genealogies is layered and often symbolic. His son Josephe became the first bishop of Sarras and consecrated Alain as his successor, ensuring the Grail’s keepership would pass into trustworthy hands. Through Joseph’s conversions, figures such as Nascien, Evelake, and Mordrains entered the Christian tradition and established the ancestral line that would one day produce Pellam, Lancelot, and ultimately Galahad. In this way, the Grail romances cast Joseph not only as a guardian of Christ’s Passion but also as a spiritual forefather, whose legacy binds the mystieries of the crucifixion to the chivalric triumphs of Arthur’s knights.
Over time, however, his story diverged across traditions. Joseph is sometimes confused with Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary, though the two figures are quite distinct. Some romances portray him as the father of multiple children – Josephe, Adam, and, in Coptic tradition, a daughter named Saint Josa. Medieval retellings were not always consistent: Malory, for example, knew little of Josephe and instead attributed to Joseph many of the deeds otherwise assigned to his son, including the marking of the Adventurous Shield. These shifting traditions illustrate how Joseph’s memory evolved, bridging scriptural authority with the imaginative needs of romance literature.
Role in Arthurian Legend#
In Arthurian romance, Joseph of Arimathea is less a knightly hero than a sacred patriarch. He introduces the Grail into the narrative world, ensuring that the relic of Christ’s Passion enters the lands where Arthur’s knights will one day seek it. This makes him the first figure in the Grail lineage: the beginning of a succession that stretches through Josephe, Bron, Alain le Gros, and finally to Galahad, the knight who achieves the Grail.
His role is both historical and symbolic. As a biblical disciple, he grounds the Grail in the authority of scripture; as a legendary pilgrim, he carries it westward, sanctifying Britain as a chosen land. The romances often portray him as more than a custodian: he is a teacher, a baptizer, and a prophet, guiding kings and peoples into the Christian faith. Even when later authors confused or reimagined his story — making him a missionary in Gaul, a founder of Glastonbury, or even a Fisher King figure — his essential role remained constant. He is the bridge between the world of Christ and the world of Arthur, the first Grail keeper whose faith and courage made possible the spiritual adventures of later generations.
Sources#
The Four Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John)
Joseph d’Arimathie | Robert de Boron (c. 1191–1200)
Vulgate Estoire del Saint Graal | (1220–1235)
Vulgate Queste del Saint Graal | (1215–1230)
Post-Vulgate Cycle | (1230–1240)
Cronica sive Antiquitates Glastoniensis Ecclesie | John of Glastonbury (14th century)
De Antiquitate Glastoniensis Ecclesiae | William of Malmesbury (12th century, with later interpolations)
Sone de Nausay | (c. 1270-1280)
