The Two Thieves

THE TWO THIEVES. - Malefactors (λῆσταί) crucified with Jesus "one on the right and one on the left" (Mt. 27:38; Mk. 15:27; Lk. 23:33; Jn. 19:18). They are called λῆσταί (Mt. 27:38, 44; Mk. 15:27), that is, "thieves" and "murderers," or κακούργοι (Lk. 23:33, 39), "malefactors," who did not shrink from bloodshed for the sake of robbery. The punishment to which they were condemned testifies to the gravity of their crimes. In all probability they too were fastened to the cross with nails and underwent the crurifragium: that is, their arms and legs were broken with an iron bar to make them die more quickly.

One of them — very probably only one — insulted Jesus on the cross, while the other rebuked his companion and commended himself to the Savior (v. DISMAS), obtaining the promise of a reward (Lk. 23:39-43).

The apocryphal Gospels claim to know something more: they tell us that they were called Dismas and Gestas, or Duma and Titus, or Mata and Joca, or Zadhan and Chammatha: the first pair of names prevailed in usage. They are said to have been brigand chiefs; he who was later the good thief is said to have benefited the Holy Family during the flight into Egypt, thereby meriting from that time the promise of a reward which was later fulfilled in his conversion on the cross; his place on Calvary is said to have been at the right hand of Jesus.