Home of Joseph of Arimathea 

The home and garden of Joseph of Arimathea played a pivotal role during and after the crucifixion of Jesus. His newly constructed family tomb, a man-made cave within his garden just north of Golgotha, was chosen for Jesus' burial – a place where no one had previously been laid. In addition to securing Jesus' body alongside Nicodemus, Joseph provided shelter for the women believers at his residence during this critical time. After Jesus' resurrection, his home continued to serve as a central gathering spot for the early Christian community, hosting many of Jesus' appearances and serving as a safe haven for significant discussions and events among his followers.

Joseph offered his home and his family’s burial place and, considering that he was a former and honored member of the Sanhedrin, became one of the most outspoken disciples of Jesus in all of Jerusalem. He was well off, having a private burial plot, a garden, a gardener, extensive property, and a large house to accommodate many people.

Joseph's home was a discreet meeting place for important interactions and teachings during the latter part of Jesus' life. In one case, it is noted that a delegation of Greek gentiles asked the Apostle Philip to see Jesus and he led the group to Joseph's home, where Jesus received and addressed them.

After Jesus' death and hearing the witnesses of the women who first saw the resurrected Jesus, David Zebedee sent messengers to announce that Jesus had risen from the dead. John then went to the home of Joseph to attend to Jesus' mother, and together they went to the home of Martha and Mary to join the family of Jesus awaiting their arrival.

The resurrected Jesus appeared at Joseph’s home, his fifth appearance, to some 25 women believers on Sunday, April 9, 30 CE.

During the week following his resurrection, the apostles waited in Jerusalem. Mary, the mother of Jesus, stayed at Joseph’s home and spent much time with the women believers who were stopping by. The apostles then left for Galilee as Jesus had instructed them during his twelfth appearance.

The tomb owned by Joseph was in his garden, on the side of a hill. The contractors hewn an interior out of solid rock and enclosed it with a large wheel that rolled on a hewed-out stone track, with a second, smaller stone added to fully cover the opening. The tomb was located a short distance north of Golgotha, on the east side of the road leading to Samaria.

Four men, Joseph, Nicodemus, John Zebedee, and a Roman centurion, carried Jesus’s body to this resting place. Joseph may have felt he was merely lending his family tomb to Jesus, as he firmly believed that Jesus would rise on the third day.

Some of the women who watched Jesus taken down from the cross went to Joseph’s house. Joseph was at the home of Nicodemus, and the women stayed at Joseph's home and prepared ointments in preparation to better embalm Jesus. At three o'clock in the morning on Sunday, five of the women headed for Joseph's tomb.

At ten minutes before three, intense vibrations began to issue from Joseph’s new tomb, and at two minutes past three o’clock on Sunday, April 9, 30 CE, the resurrected form and personality of Jesus passed through the stone tomb.

Jesus' physical body was undisturbed. At ten minutes past three o’clock, the angels requested that the natural process of decay happen without time, that is, immediately. Our invisible helpers rolled away the heavy doorway, akin to a large millstone, and the terrified soldiers took off running, passing by the women without even looking.

At dawn, the five women confirmed the tomb was empty. Mary Magdalene saw a man standing by whom she assumed was the caretaker of Joseph’s garden. That was the case until he lovingly addressed her as “Mary.” Jesus again appeared to Mary at six o'clock in the morning when she returned to the same spot.

Today, there stands a Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built in the fourth century, on a spot where they found a rock-cut tomb.