St Joseph of Arimathea
/snt ˌdʒəʊzəf əv ˌærəməˈθiːə/, /snt ˌdʒəʊsəf əv ˌærəməˈθiːə/
/seɪnt ˌdʒəʊzəf əv ˌærəməˈθiːə/, /seɪnt ˌdʒəʊsəf əv ˌærəməˈθiːə/
- (1st century AD) a rich supporter of Jesus who appears in the Bible. He asks for Jesus's body after he dies and puts it in his own tomb . In traditional English stories he is said to have visited Glastonbury in Somerset, bringing the Holy Grail with him, and to have started the first English church. A thorn tree at Glastonbury is said to have grown from the stick that he carried.