It is against this legal and cultural backdrop that the story of Joseph of Arimathea should be understood. Because the Jewish Council (or Sanhedrin) delivered Jesus to the Roman authorities for execution, it was incumbent upon it to arrange for proper burial (as in m. Sanhedrin 6:5, cited above). This task fell to Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the council. The gospel narratives are completely in step with Jewish practice, which Roman authorities during peacetime respected.
