soldiers at the tomb

[KevinSim]

Matthew 28:13-15 says that it "is commonly reported among the Jews until this day" that some Roman soldiers assigned by Pontius Pilate to guard the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth (the central figure of Christianity) said Jesus' "disciples came by night, and stole him away while" those guards slept. As far as any Jews on this forum know, has it ever been the case that Jewish leaders have said this? Have any Jewish leaders ever said that those soldiers slept while the disciples and/or apostles came by night and carried Jesus' body away? Is it possible that the whole idea of Roman soldiers at Jesus' tomb may have been an invention of the author of Matthew's Gospel?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

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[KevinSim]

I have never heard this outside of Christian circles. Furthermore, why didn’t the “Jewish” witnesses to these events wake the soldiers? An empty tomb is something they would not want.

Well, Matthew's Gospel says there were no Jewish witnesses. It says that the soldiers came to the Jewish leaders and told them what happened after the fact. Then Matthew's Gospel says the Jewish leaders bribed the soldiers to tell everybody that they had fallen asleep while they were supposed to be guarding the body. But I am starting to wonder if there is any good reason to believe that Roman soldiers were guarding the tomb in the first place.

It looks to me like it's possible that the author of Matthew's Gospel came up with a good story to convince people that a supernatural power (capable of sending the Roman soldiers running) was behind the empty tomb, and since Matthew's Gospel likely came out in Syria after the Jewish leaders involved had either been killed or sent into exile by the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, those Jewish leaders were not around to contradict that author's story.

 

[Radrook]

Well, Matthew's Gospel says there were no Jewish witnesses. It says that the soldiers came to the Jewish leaders and told them what happened after the fact. Then Matthew's Gospel says the Jewish leaders bribed the soldiers to tell everybody that they had fallen asleep while they were supposed to be guarding the body. But I am starting to wonder if there is any good reason to believe that Roman soldiers were guarding the tomb in the first place.

It looks to me like it's possible that the author of Matthew's Gospel came up with a good story to convince people that a supernatural power (capable of sending the Roman soldiers running) was behind the empty tomb, and since Matthew's Gospel likely came out in Syria after the Jewish leaders involved had either been killed or sent into exile by the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, those Jewish leaders were not around to contradict that author's story.

Are you equally as skeptical of the Book of Mormon as you are of the Bible?

 

[KevinSim]

Are you equally as skeptical of the Book of Mormon as you are of the Bible?

Yes, I am. I have been skeptical of the Book of Mormon for a long time.

I have a firm testimony of the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon, just as I have a firm testimony of the divine inspiration of the Bible. That doesn't prevent me from showing great interest when people question the historical likelihood of either.

 

[lordjeff]

Matthew 28:13-15 says that it "is commonly reported among the Jews until this day" that some Roman soldiers assigned by Pontius Pilate to guard the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth (the central figure of Christianity) said Jesus' "disciples came by night, and stole him away while" those guards slept. As far as any Jews on this forum know, has it ever been the case that Jewish leaders have said this? Have any Jewish leaders ever said that those soldiers slept while the disciples and/or apostles came by night and carried Jesus' body away? Is it possible that the whole idea of Roman soldiers at Jesus' tomb may have been an invention of the author of Matthew's Gospel?

Very possible an invention of Matthew. Fact is we don't have actual witnesses. The synoptics are even different on the resurrection bystanders. What people don't know about the gospels is that they are based on schools of thought at the time--picture an ancient George Orwell or Edith Wharton.