Arimathaia is the Greek form of a Judean place name, traditionally identified with Ramathaim-zophim (1 Sam 1:1), the birthplace of the prophet Samuel. In the New Testament it appears exactly once in each Gospel (Matt 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51; John 19:38), always as the hometown of Joseph, the wealthy and righteous council member who requested Jesus's body from Pilate and laid it in his own new tomb. Luke alone adds that Joseph was 'waiting for the kingdom of God,' while Matthew specifies he was a disciple. The name passes through all languages with minimal adaptation -- French Arimathee, Spanish Arimataia, German Arimathaea -- testimony to the universally recognized role this town plays in the burial narrative.