A Sidmouth computer engineer turned author pored through manuscripts and books to write a biography of a biblical character.
Glyn Lewis worked for two years to track the movements of Joseph of Arimathea, who the Gospels say provided the tomb for Jesus’s burial, and who then became Britain’s first Christian Evangelist.
Glyn’s American publishers told him he was unique – they believe the book will be of interest both sides of the Atlantic.
“Many people regard it as a legend,” said Glyn, a grandfather-of-two. “I think it’s more than a legend and he did come here.
“It’s not easy writing about a man who lived 2,000 years ago when you have nothing he wrote or said. His importance to Britain can’t be overstated. I thought the man needed a biographer. I wanted a book that satisfied the general reader as well as the archaeologist or historian.
“I sent the synopsis out to different publishers and got a call back from Pennsylvania. The publisher said I am unique. There’s a strong religious community in America and Joseph of Arimathea was an important biblical character.
“The book came out in November in the USA and is now being imported and is available.”
Joseph of Arimathea follows Glyn’s previous book, Did Jesus Come to Britain?
“The books seem to find me rather than me going out looking for them,” said the Manstone Lane resident. “I’ll attend discussions and find something I’d like to find out more about. I mostly use books and manuscripts. Paragon Books is very good at getting me early books.”
The book synopsis says: “The author first discusses Arimathea, a town that has yet to be positively identified. He then reviews the accounts of Joseph’s entombment of Jesus that appear in each of the four Gospels.
“From these earliest references, the author next consults evidence of Joseph’s passage by ship to the south of France among a group of fugitives escaping persecution for being Christians, and his early visits to Britain as a trader in precious ores. These voyages are said to have brought him to the area around Glastonbury, which became a flourishing monastery in the Middle Ages.
“Whether or not Joseph of Arimathea visited Britain, his story remains an enthralling and fascinating mystery.”
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