Chapter 62: Joseph Of Arimathea

James the Just in Gnostic and Theosophist lore survived his condemnation to spawn the Grail legends that portray him as Joseph of Arimathea. Gnostics have also recorded James holding the Essene community distinction of the title of “Joseph,” as the second born of the dynastic succession, while Jesus held the Judaic and dynastic Essene title of the “David” (or Davidum). The “Joseph” was James’s inherited distinction, where he became the “Divine Highness,” the equivalent to the crown prince, the “Royal Highness” of today. James, then, was known within the Nazarene/Essene community as Joseph Ha Rama- Theo , which became known later in its phonetic translation as “Joseph of Arimathea.” 33

Other Gnostic lore records the apostle Peter as having recruited Joseph and sent him to Rome after the crucifixion, where he was able to free Christians held in bondage by the Romans. He was rewarded for those deeds by being honored and appointed to preach the Gospels in England. 34 While in Britain, Joseph/James was granted a wealth of tax- free land at Glastonbury by King Arviragus, brother to King Caractacus, the Pendragon of the Isle, whose dynasty was called the House of Camu- Lot. 35 What is more likely is that this non- biblical Joseph of Grail lore fled to England and away from Peter and Pauline Christianity for reasons we will discuss later. Joseph was then believed to have traveled to Marseilles in 35 C.E. and later to Britain and Glastonbury in 45 C.E. , where he lived until he died at the age of eighty- six. 36

According to these same legends, just before the crucifixion, Joseph used his friendship with Pilate and his influence on the Jewish elder council to broker a deal to the Jesus problem. 37 Luke backs up the assertion that Joseph was a prominent member of the Jewish council. 38 These alternative Gnostic legends suggest, as does Scripture, that Joseph owned the tomb that Jesus was buried in, but Gnostic records indicate the crucifixion took place in the garden of Gethsemane 39 and not at Golgotha, the place of the skull, as Scripture records. 40 Scripture does record that Jesus was buried in a garden beside Golgotha, but it does not record that the garden was Gethsemane. 41 Gethsemane was recorded in Scripture as the garden where Jesus was arrested. 42 The Gnostic legends also record that Joseph owned the garden of Gethsemane, as well as the tomb Jesus was buried in; 43 although Scripture only recorded that Joseph owned the tomb and not the garden.

It was in this garden allegedly owned by Joseph in Gethsemane and away from close public scrutiny that unconventional Gnostic lore recants the accepted doctrines of Jesus being crucified to His death. Joseph purportedly arranged to fake the death of Jesus and to remove him from the cross before he died. 44