Dismas
Christian saint; thief pardoned by Jesus on the cross in Luke 23:39-43
d. 33
The penitent thief, also known as the good thief, wise thief, grateful thief, or thief on the cross, is one of two unnamed thieves in Luke the Evangelist's account of the crucifixion of Jesus in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke describes him asking Jesus to "remember him" when Jesus comes into his kingdom. The other, as the impenitent thief, challenges Jesus to save himself and both of them to prove that he is the Messiah.
Events
Commemorated
Places
- Jerusalem death
How we know
A figure the record marks as legend — kept, and marked. Apocrypha of the New Testament (ANF vol. 8) — ANF VIII, Gospel of Nicodemus I (Acts of Pilate), 1st Greek Form chs. 9-10 (Dysmas) and Latin Form ch. 10 (Dismas)
- Gospel of Mark 1 claim — crucifixion of Jesus
Glosses
- The saint who never was Some saints are not remembered people at all but accidents that hardened. Delehaye’s examples are concrete and none of them involves anyone lying. A trivial catacomb epitaph, once scholars had no way of telling which…