Nicodemus was a religious figure and philosopher from Judea. He was involved in the Pharisee movement and was part of the Sanhedrin assemblies. His name appears in three different sections of the Gospel of John. In the first instance, he meets Jesus to converse about the latter’s teachings. In the second instance, he addresses his colleagues in the Sanhedrin, mentioning that, according to the law, a person must be heard before a judgement is passed on them. His final appearance occurs following the Crucifixion of Christ. He brings the customary embalming spices and helps Joseph of Arimathea in making the body of Jesus ready for burial. In the mid-4th century, the Gospel of Nicodemus appeared. An apocryphal work, it gained its title in the medieval times and tells the story of Harrowing of Hell. While there is no definitive proof of Nicodemus’ existence beyond the Gospel of John, some scholars hold the view that he and another religious figure, Nicodemus ben Gurion, were the same individual. However, other scholars contradict this, stating that the description indicates that Nicodemus is an old man during his discussion with Jesus, while Nicodemus ben Gurion is known for his activities during the Jewish War which took place about four decades later.