10. One Legend Says Joseph of Arimathea Held the Grail
According to the New Testament gospels, particularly Matthew chapter 27, Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy Jewish leader who was present at the crucifixion of Jesus. When Jesus died, Joseph offered his family’s tomb for the burial of the body. Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who had supervised the crucifixion, ordered the body be given to Joseph, who then had the body prepared for burial. According to the Jewish law and traditions, he laid the body inside his tomb and had the tomb sealed with a heavy stone.
One legend regarding the holy grail says that Joseph of Arimathea had in his possession the cup from the Last Supper, which he used to collect the blood of Jesus as He was dying. There are numerous paintings from the Middle Ages that depict this supposed scene, which is not recorded in the Bible or other literature from the time. For an unknown reason, he allegedly took the cup with him to land at the far reaches of the Roman Empire: the British Isles. This legend is pure speculation, as there are no references to it until hundreds of years after he lived. However, this legend helped to fan the “grail fervor” that gripped Medieval Europe, particularly the legends surrounding England’s “once and future king,” King Arthur.