The resurrection of Jesus; is it an historical fact or a myth? An evaluation by Jesus Seminar

The dramatic stories of the gospels of Luke and John have dominated Christian belief since second century. This is strengthened by weekly sermons, Easter lectionary, artwork of last supper & holy sacrament. In this book, the Jesus Seminar, a group of academics, examine the apocrypha, historical documents and determine the influence of Jewish culture and Old Testament and suggest that the myth has become an historical fact. A quick reference to the New Testament illustrates that resurrection stories in gospels, acts and epistles are not only different but they appear in different chronological order. Jesus Seminar argues that resurrection is not uniquely a Christian phenomenon but culturally and historically enshrined in ancient Jewish traditions. Herakles, son of Zeus; Apollo's son Eeneas; son of Venus, Romulus; and son of Mars, Apollonius of Tyana (a contemporary of Paul), all suggested to have been resurrected.

The emergence of a cosmic figure from tomb is depicted in the gospel of Peter 9-10. In Hebrews 9, Jesus hands over his shroud to a slave of the high priest and then appearing to James. The appearances described in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Luke 24, John 20-21, transfiguration story, Acts 7, and Revelation are not necessarily original but some are duplicates. It is hard to determine which one is the original and correct description. In probing the issues of resurrection of Jesus, the Seminar concludes that the empty tomb is not based on historical memory. Mark and Matthew describe resurrection in Galilee, but Luke says it is Jerusalem; John cites resurrection appearances in both cities. The earlier sightings of Jesus were luminous visions as described by Paul and later supported by Luke but as the traditions developed, the resurrection became more palpable and physical.

Paul who claimed to have received an appearance of the risen Jesus (1 Cor 15:8), was blinded by intense light. He heard only a voice on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:4, 22:7, 26:14). Later Paul refers to this as an apocalyptic revelation and not a visual appearance. By 70 CE, the gospel of Mark was written; in Mark 16:1-8, we come across the events that is supposedly occurred on Easter Sunday morning complete with empty tomb and angels proclamation of Jesus resurrection. Finally 85-95 C.E., saw the books of Matthew, Luke and John. These texts exploded with elaborate narratives of Easter and the events of the following weeks.

Easter lasted few days to several years depending upon the text. According to Paul of Tarsus, the resurrection happened after 4 or 5 years. Luke suggests 40 days in the book of Acts, Secret gospel of James for 550 days, and the Pisitis of Sophia for 11 years. The physical unrecordability of these miraculous events comes down to one thing; the gospel stories about Easter are not historical accounts but religious beliefs. The suffering and vindication of the righteous one is the story of crucifixion and resurrection. Repentance, forgiveness and redemption are the key concepts in the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Resurrection and the holy sacrament offer a powerful story for believers.

Reference: The Resurrection of Jesus: A Sourcebook (Jesus Seminar Guides Vol 4) by Robert W. Funk