Steven Carr

Jesus swapping Bible verses in the desert with Satan is quite creative.

And having Moses and Elijah come back to speak to Jesus is quite creative.

I can only imagine what I might read if some Muslims started to believe that Muhammad had returned and spoken to some members of a new Muslim sect.

Paul says Jews stumbled at a crucified Messiah.

Heaven knows how they would have reacted to claims that Moses had appeared to members of this new sect.

show_no_mercy

Since it's relevant to this thread, here is John Dominic Crossan on the whole Joseph of Arimathea character's role:

Petergdi

Unless you can show why a minor difference in transliteration is a big deal, then I don't think you have a non-silly point to make.

Peter.

Toto

Here is spin's take: I recall some discussion of why Joseph was from "the heights" - something symbolic.

Steven Carr

So Peter agrees that nobody has ever found a town called by that Greek word.

Here is the word in Mark 15:43 Ἁριμαθαίας

Here is the word in Joshua 20:8 Αρημωθ (A minor difference?)

And here is Ramoth in 2 Chronicles 18:19 Ραμωθ

Why is Ἁριμαθαίας the same place as Ἁριμαθαίας when the Gospels are the only Greek works ever to use Ἁριμαθαίας?

Josephus calls the city Arimanon or Aramatha(h) (Ant., 4:173; 8:399; 9:105).

So there was no such place as Arimathea.

andrewcriddle

I was thinking about this.

Taking Mark's account on its own, (without making use of material from John), the reason why Joseph does not ask Pilate late that Friday afternoon for the bodies of the two other crucified criminals is that the unfortunate men are apparently still alive. They presumably died sometime on the sabbath and would either have been disposed of there and then by the Romans or left until a Jewish request for the remains during working hours on Sunday.

Andrew Criddle