Chapter XXIII.—Of the Question Whether the First Three Evangelists are Quite in Harmony with John in the Accounts Given of His Burial.

60. Matthew proceeds thus: “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.”970    Matt. xxvii. 59, 60. Mark’s version is as follows: “And he bought fine linen,971    [All three evangelists use the same term in referring to “the linen cloth;” so the Latin text. The Authorized Version makes an unnecessary variation. John uses another word; see below.—R.] and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.”972    Mark xv. 46. Luke reports it in those terms: “And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.”973    Luke xxiii. 53. So far as these three narratives are concerned, no allegation of a want of harmony can possibly be raised. John, however, tells us that the burial of the Lord was attended to not only by Joseph, but also by Nicodemus. For he begins with Nicodemus in due connection with what precedes, and goes on with his narrative as follows: “And there came also Nicodemus (which at the first came to Jesus by night), and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.” 974    John xix. 39. Then, introducing Joseph again at this point, he continues in these terms: “Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus, therefore, because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.” 975    John xix. 40–42. But there is really as little ground for supposing any discrepancy here as there was in the former case, if we take a correct view of the statement. For those evangelists who have left Nicodemus unnoticed have not affirmed that the Lord was buried by Joseph alone, although he is the only one introduced into their records. Neither does the fact, that these three are all at one in informing us how the Lord was wrapped in the linen cloth by Joseph, preclude us from entertaining the idea that other linen stuffs may have been brought by Nicodemus, and added to what was given by Joseph, so that John may be perfectly correct in his narrative, especially as what he tells us is that the Lord was wrapped not in a linen cloth, but in linen clothes.976    [John uses the term ὀθονίοις, which the Latin renders linteis. Augustin’s discussion is not intelligible unless this variation is recognised.—R.] At the same time, when we take into account the handkerchief which was used for the head, and the bandages with which the whole body was swathed, and consider that all these were made of linen, we can see how, even although there was really but a single linen cloth [of the kind referred to by the first three evangelists] there, it could still have been stated with the most perfect truth that “they wound Him in linen clothes.” For the phrase, linen clothes, is one applied generally to all textures made of flax.

CAPUT XXIII. De sepultura ejus, quomodo tres a Joanne non dissentiant.

60. Sequitur Matthaeus: «Et accepto corpore, Joseph involvit illud in sindone munda, et posuit illud in monumento suo novo, quod exciderat in petra: et advolvit saxum magnum ad ostium monumenti, et abiit» (Matth. XXVII, 59, 60). Marcus sic: «Joseph autem mercatus sindonem, et deponens eum involvit sindone, et posuit eum in monumento quod erat excisum de petra; et advolvit lapidem ad ostium monumenti» (Marc. XV, 46). Lucas sic: «Et depositum involvit in sindone, et posuit eum in monumento exciso, 1196 in quo nondum quisquam positus fuerat» (Luc. XXIII, 53). Ex his tribus nulla quaestio dissensionis oriri potest: Joannes autem sepulturam Domini, non a solo Joseph, sed a Nicodemo quoque curatam fuisse commemorat. Consequenter enim a Nicodemo incipiens, ita narrat: «Venit autem et Nicodemus, qui venerat ad Jesum nocte primum, ferens mixturam myrrhae et aloes quasi libras centum.» Deinde sequitur adjungens ipsum Joseph, et dicit: «Acceperunt ergo corpus Jesu, et ligaverunt eum linteis cum aromatibus, sicut mos Judaeis est sepelire. Erat autem in loco ubi crucifixus est, hortus; et in horto monumentum novum, in quo nondum quisquam positus erat: ibi ergo propter parasceven Judaeorum, quia juxta erat monumentum, posuerunt Jesum» (Joan. XIX, 39-42). Neque hic aliquid repugnat recte intelligentibus. Neque enim illi qui de Nicodemo tacuerunt, affirmaverunt a solo Joseph Dominum sepultum, quamvis solius commemorationem fecerint; aut quia illi una sindone a Joseph involutum dixerunt, propterea prohibuerunt intelligi et alia lintea potuisse afferri a Nicodemo et superaddi, ut verum narraret Joannes, quod non uno linteo, sed linteis involutus sit: quamvis et propter sudarium quod capiti adhibebatur, et institas quibus corpus totum alligatum est, quia omnia de lino erant, etiamsi una sindon ibi fuit, verissime dici potuit, ligaverunt eum linteis. Lintea quippe generaliter dicuntur quae lino texuntur.