ARIMATHEA

Hometown of the Joseph who obtained Jesus’ crucified body and buried it in his own tomb (Mt 27:57; Mk 15:43; Jn 19:38). The town’s location is unknown, though it may be identical to the hill town of Ramathaim-zophim, the prophet Samuel’s home (1 Sm 1:1), about 8 miles (12.9 kilometers) northwest of Jerusalem. Luke described the place as a Jewish town, and Joseph was himself a Jewish official (Lk 23:50).