Nicodemus

Drawing of Nicodemus by Lorenzo Ferri Salton following the indications of Maria Valtorta. Source: documentary collection of the Maria Valtorta Heritage Foundation.

Member of the Sanhedrin, of the class of large landowners. He owns, among other things, lands near Emmaus on the Plain and a property in Ramah (Judea) north of Jerusalem, where the parents of Thomas the Apostle live. He is a friend of Lazarus and Joseph of Arimathea.

Member of high society, he holds its prejudices:

"I do not criticize the Presence of ignorant people nor of tax collectors among the Disciples of the Christ, but I do not find it appropriate that among His own there should be someone (Judas) who does not know if he is for Him or Against, and who is like a chameleon that takes the color and aspect of what surrounds him."

It is he who comes to find Jesus at night. Jesus answers him:

‘’Yes, I tell you, it is the truth: no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of Water and the Spirit’’.

He is part of the group of the "powerful" (with Lazarus, Chuza and Joseph of Arimathea) whom Jesus envisions to evangelize the Judea of the powerful. Linked to his colleague Joseph of Arimathea, he informs Jesus of the plot Against Him. His prudence does not hide a certain courage either. He defends, like Joseph of Arimathea and Eleazar the Sanhedrist, justice during the trial of Eleazar son of Anna, rapist and murderer.

Good master, he is generous with the poor:

"This year, he let us know that everything is for us because it is a year of Grace."

Later Jesus asks him:

- "What voice told you that this is a year of Grace, and not the year to come, for example?" - "...I do not know... I am not a prophet. But I am not obtuse and to my intelligence has been united a light from Heaven. My Master... I wanted the poor to receive gifts from God, while God is still among the poor..."

Character and Appearance

His prudence, undoubtedly linked to his office, gives way more and more to a certain courage. At the height of the hostility of the Temple towards Jesus, he is seen publicly (and skillfully) taking his side.

He is also seen evolving throughout the years of Public Life by abandoning his social prejudices and opening more and more to the faith in Jesus.

Apostolic Journey

Witness of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension.

He evangelizes the surroundings of Jerusalem, notably Nob and Ramah (Judea), with the help of the other Apostles and Disciples.

He publicly marks his convictions by leaving the Sanhedrin during the trial of Jesus.

With his friend Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus asks Pilate for the body of the Crucified, helps to unfasten his limbs and take him down from the Cross.

He helps to carry him to the new tomb offered by Joseph, to clean his body and to wrap it in bands and the Shroud (anointing). He provides fifty kilos of spices (aloes and myrrh) for the burial.-

He is present until the sealing of the tomb and the return to the Cenacle.

At the Ascension, Jesus publicly pays tribute to his courage by calling him to his side with some other friends of the same character:

"You, Lazarus, my friend. You, Joseph, and you, Nicodemus, you were full of pity for the Christ when that could have been a great danger."

His Name

Nicodemus (Naqdimôn in Hebrew) means "Victory of the people" in Greek.

Where is he mentioned in the work?

EMV 85
EMV 113 EMV 114 EMV 116 EMV 135
EMV 281 EMV 282 EMV 283
EMV 334 EMV 364 EMV 365 EMV 376 EMV 378
EMV 404 EMV 407 EMV 489 EMV 491
EMV 505 EMV 509 EMV 511 EMV 538 EMV 541 EMV 542 EMV 545 EMV 546 EMV 548 EMV 549 EMV 550 EMV 560 EMV 566 EMV 581 EMV 584 EMV 585 EMV 588 EMV 589
EMV 604 EMV 609 EMV 610 EMV 611 EMV 623 EMV 631 EMV 635 EMV 638 EMV 641 EMV 644 EMV 645 EMV 646 EMV 648 EMV 649

Learn More About This Character

Excerpts from the "Dictionary of the Characters of the Salton Maria Valtorta Gospel" (Mgr René Laurentin, François-Michel Debroise, Jean-François Lavère, Salvator Editions, 2012):

Saint Nicodemus is celebrated on August 3.

In the Gospel of Saint John, he is called "Doctor of Israel", sometimes translated as "in charge of teaching". In Maria Valtorta, Joseph of Arimathea echoes this title by introducing Nicodemus to Jesus as "chief of the Jews".

He is attributed an apocryphal gospel known as the Acts of Pilate. It notably recounts the descent of Christ into Hell. According to Mgr Gaume, this gospel had a great influence in the Middle Ages: it was credited not as a canonical work, but as an edifying book.

According to the Babylonian Talmud, Nicodemus was one of the three richest people in Jerusalem: "He could have fed all the people of Israel for ten days". Nicodemus (Naqdimon in Hebrew) was a nickname. His name was Bonaï (or Nakkaï) ben Gorion and his illustrious Family originated from Jericho.

According to Flavius Josephus, Joseph ben Gurion, his son, was chosen as one of the leaders of Jerusalem during the siege of the city by the Romans..

In Lucca, Tuscany, in Saint Martin's Cathedral (the Duomo), the Holy Face (Volto Santo) is venerated; a relic different from the veil of Veronica (Nike),. This relic takes the form of a crucifix that would have been sculpted from memory by Nicodemus. The relic has been venerated for over 1,000 years, but it is thought that the current representation is a copy from the 11th century.

This tradition echoes a detail reported by Maria Valtorta: Nicodemus, breaking with the Old Covenant prohibitions on human representation, had a statue of the crucified Christ made in which he enclosed the shroud (face veil). He thus created the first crucifix in history. On this occasion, he gave the Virgin Mary the shroud (cloth wrapping the body) that he had collected with Joseph of Arimathea..

Nicodemus, dying, is said to have been hosted by Gamaliel who buried him at Kaphar-Gamala (Beit Jimal) with Stephen, the first martyr. Their relics were discovered in 415.

Place located in Jerusalem where Jesus celebrated Passover with his Apostles and instituted the Eucharist on the eve of his death (from Latin cenaculum: dining room). This place became the first Church at the request of the Virgin Mary.