The AD 30 Jerusalem Church’s official position was that Joseph entombed Jesus.
• …They affirmed that “Joseph buried Jesus in a tomb.”
So? Couldn’t it simply be that…
• … They were lying?
• … Their belief was unjustified; they were endorsing a lie they had fallen for.
The belief that Joseph entombed Jesus remained uncontested.
• …Jewish enemies acknowledged the story of Jesus’s burial.1
This is relevant because competing accounts would flourish if the story were false.2
No,
• …competing reports say non-disciples buried Jesus (Acts 13:29; Jn 19:31; Dialogue with Trypho 97:1).
• …the Mk 12:6-8 parable says the corpse [=Jesus!] of the vineyard owner's son was “thrown out”.
• …the Gospel of Peter 21 says the Romans left Jesus' crucified corpse on the ground to rot.
Joseph buried Jesus in a tomb. This is relevant because it entails that he placed Jesus's body in a tomb.
Non-disciples oversaw and dealt-with Jesus's corpse.
After all…
• …Joseph of Arimathea was not a disciple or anything.
• …Acts 13:29 says Jesus's accusers buried him.
• …Jn 19:31 suggests Romans gave it to the Jews.
• …Dialogue with Trypho 97:1 says “they” buried him.
This is relevant because Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple.
So? It's possible that…
• …Joseph of Arimathea was a non-disciple and yet placed it in a tomb.
Tomb-type burials were almost always love-motivated (done by friends/family/disciples).
After all…
• …burials in general were normally love-motivated.
• …tomb-type burial would tend to be gratuitously expensive if not motivated by love.
No,
• …Tomb-type burials in Jerusalem were cheaper and easier.1
So? Plausibly…
• …Joseph sufficiently respected Jesus.2
• …Joseph sufficiently cared for Jesus; he was a follower.
• …Joseph was in a rush [See above]
• …Joseph felt it would be easier (instead of digging a trench grave).