Joseph of Arimathea

The first illustration for my book’s chapter on Glastonbury; this depicts the legend of the arrival in Somerset of Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph, who some say was the uncle or great-uncle of Christ, came from the Holy Land bearing the Grail, the cup used at the Last Supper. Alternate versions of the legend say he brought two cruets containing the blood and sweat of Jesus, collected at the Crucifixion and buried them at the site of the Red and White springs near Chalice Hill, which is highlighted in the picture. From his vantage point on Wearyall Hill he scans the Glastonbury landscape, planting his staff in the ground and exclaiming to his companions that they are ‘weary all’. His staff is said to have taken root and blossomed into the legendary Glastonbury Thorn. Copyright Nic Phillips 2013. Acrylic on Canvas (39in x 12in).