Entombment. The burial of Jesus refers to the burial of the body of Jesus after crucifixion, described in the New Testament. According to the canonical gospel accounts, he was placed in a tomb by a man named Joseph of Arimathea. In art, it is often called the Entombment of Christ. The earliest reference to the burial of Jesus is in a letter of Paul. Writing to the Corinthians around the year 54 AD, he refers to the account he had received of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The four canonical gospels, written between 66 and 95AD, all conclude with an extended narrative of Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. All four state that, on the evening of the Crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body, and, after Pilate granted his request, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a tomb. There are significant differences between the four accounts, recording the evolution of the tradition from the earliest gospel to the last. Modern scholarship tends to see the gospel accounts as contradictory, and finds the Mark portrayal more probable. In the earliest of the gospels, the Gospel of Mark, written around 70AD, Joseph of Arimathea is a member of the Jewish Council-the Sanhedrin which had condemned Jesus-who wishes to ensure that the corpse is buried in accordance with Jewish law, according to which dead bodies could not be left exposed overnight. He puts the body in a new shroud and lays it in a tomb carved into the rock. The Jewish historian Josephus, writing later in the century, described how the Jews regarded this law as so important that even the bodies of crucified criminals would be taken down and buried before sunset. In this account, Joseph does only the bare minimum needed for observance of the law, wrapping the body in a cloth, with no mention of washing or anointing it. This may explain why Mark has a story prior to the Crucifixion, in which a woman pours perfume over Jesus: Jesus is thereby prepared for burial even before his death. The Gospel of Matthew was written around the year 85 or 90, using the Gospel of Mark as a source. In this account Joseph of Arimathea is not referenced as a member of the Sanhedrin, but a wealthy disciple of Jesus. Many interpreters have read this as a subtle orientation by the author towards wealthy supporters, while others believe this is a fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah 53:9: And they made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich his tomb; Although he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth. This version suggests a more honourable burial: Joseph wraps the body in a clean shroud and places it in his own tomb, and the word used is soma rather than ptoma. The author adds that the Roman authorities made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. This detail may have been added to answer claims by contemporary opponents that the followers of Jesus had stolen his body. The Gospel of Mark is also a source for the account given in the Gospel of Luke, written around the year 90. As in the Markan version, Joseph is described as a member of the Sanhedrin, but as not having agreed with the Sanhedrin's decision regarding Jesus; he is said to have been waiting for the kingdom of God rather than a disciple of Jesus. The last of the gospels, John, differs from Mark on this point, depicting Joseph as a disciple who gives Jesus an honourable burial. John says that Joseph was assisted in the burial process by Nicodemus, who brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes and included these spices in the burial cloth according to Jewish customs. By touching a dead body, both men were knowingly willing to make themselves unclean for seven days per the law stated in Numbers 19:11. The comparison below is based on the New International Version. Matthew Mark Luke John Joseph and Pilate Matthew 27:57-58 Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man and disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate for Jesus' body in the evening. Pilate ordered it to be given to him. Mark 15:42-45 Joseph of Arimathea, a Council member who awaited God's kingdom, asked Pilate for Jesus' body on the evening before Sabbath. Pilate was surprised, and asked the centurion if Jesus died already. After the centurion's confirmation, Pilate gave Jesus' body to Joseph. Luke 23:50-52 Joseph of Arimathea, a Council member and good man who awaited God's kingdom and hadn't consented to the Council's decision, asked Pilate for Jesus' body. John 19:38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate for Jesus' body. Pilate gave permission and Joseph took the body. Burial Matthew 27:59-61 Joseph took Jesus' body and wrapped it in linen.