Category:Thieves of Golgotha (subject)

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The Thieves of Golgotha, according to Christian tradition, were "two brigands" crucified with Jesus of Nazareth.

Overview

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John all claim that Jesus of Nazareth was not crucified alone (see Crucifixion of Jesus). Mark, Matthew and Luke specify that "two brigands" were crucified within him. They were not "robbers"; the term denotes "political prisoners" who like Jesus were accused of rebellion. The story of Barabbas seems to confirm that there must have been some "insurrection" or riot against the Romans. We know nothing, however, about the circumstances in which these two men were arrested and charged, or about their association with Jesus.

According to Mark and Matthew, they both "taunted" Jesus, even though we are not told the reason for their behavior. We can only speculate that they had been, voluntarily or involuntarily, involved in the uprising caused by Jesus' messianic proclamation in Jerusalem and now they "blamed" him for their destiny, out of anger or disappointment. As he did in all stories, like the Anointing of Jesus, that had disturbing political implications, Luke turned the narrative in yet another moral example of Jesus' forgiving attitude toward the sinners, by claiming that one brigand insulted Jesus, while the other asked for forgiveness and was forgiven by Jesus. John chose to remain silent; he does not specify the identity of the "two" and does not mention their attitude toward Jesus. The later Christian tradition will completely erase any political references by turning the two "political prisoners" into common "thieves."

In the Gospels, the "Thieves" are unnamed. The names of the Good and the Unrepentant Thief, Dysmas and Gestas, or Titus and Dumachus, come from the later Christian tradition (the Gospel of Nicodemus and the Arabic Infancy Gospel, respectively). The latter document adds a tale about how Titus prevented the other thieves in his company from robbing Mary and Joseph during their flight into Egypt.

In the Russian tradition, the Good Thief's name is neither Dysmas nor Titus, but Rakh.

The Thieves of Golgotha in ancient sources

• See Thieves of Golgotha (sources) -- survey of ancient sources

The Thieves of Golgotha in literature & the arts

The Thieves of Golgotha, known in later sources as Dysmas (Titus, Rakh) and Gestas (Dumachus), are commonly depicted in Christian iconography in the scene of the Crucifixion of Jesus. In legends, the Thieves took a life of their own, which still inspires novels and works of art on the subject. A few films, notably, The King of Kings (1927 DeMille), film or King of Kings (1961 Ray), film, also gave some special relevance to the characters of the two Thieves.

• See Thieves of Golgotha (arts) -- survey of fictional works

Related categories

• Jesus of Nazareth

External links

• Saint Dismas