man, who has done such marvels as man never did. How shall I perform thy obsequies? how shall I bury thee? Now ought they too to be present whom thou didst feed with a few loaves: for thus I should not have seemed to be wanting in honour.
Then Joseph with Nicodemus went home: likewise also the mother of God, with the women, John also accompanying them.[1]
CHAPTER XII.
When the Jews learned that these things had been done by Joseph and Nicodemus they were greatly moved against them; and the chief priests, Annas and Caiaphas, admonished Joseph, and said to him, Wherefore hast thou performed these obsequies for Jesus? Joseph saith, I know that Jesus was a just and true and good man in all respects, and I know also, that ye through envy devised his murder; and for this cause I performed his funeral. Then the chief priests were angry and seized Joseph and cast him in prison, and said unto him, If we did not keep the feast of unleavened bread to-morrow, we would have put thee to death to-morrow, as we did him; but for the present, being kept in confinement,
- ↑ The mention of John in this story of the burial seems to have a motive, but I cannot say what it is: probably, John was pre-eminent among the saints, honoured where this adaptation of Nicodemus was produced. Peter on the contrary, is studiously kept out of sight, if we except the allusion at page 284, lines 10, 11.
