Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna
Monday, May 16, 2016
Topic: The empty tomb 42
Reading: Matthew 27:57-66, 28:1-15
Scripture: He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee. (Luke 24:6)
Note: As part of the contorted, confused and convoluted journey of the ill-fated swoon hypothesis, Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln, in their 1982 book _Holy Blood, Holy Grail,_ speculated that Pontius Pilate was bribed to allow Jesus to be taken down from the cross before he was dead.
In 1992, Barbara Thiering explored the theory of the swoon hypothesis in depth in her book, _Jesus and the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls_. In 2006, Baigent published _The Jesus Papers,_ a book that describes how Jesus may have survived the crucifixion. Several 20th century proponents of various connotations and configurations of the swoon theories were to follow later; indicating how confused the proponents themselves were, regarding their own theories.
Most of the stories stated by the proponents of the swoon hypothesis in their so-called ancient mysteries and conspiracy theories, presented as facts are pseudohistorical. Contemporary literary critics in those times labeled such pseudohistorical facts as marvellous themes for a novel.
The historicity of Pontius Pilate as the prefect of the province of Judaea under the leadership of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, has been established beyond doubt through archaeological discoveries. All the four gospel writers mentioned the trial of Jesus by Pontius Pilate, who eventually sentenced him to death by crucifixion in a public trial. The controversies surrounding the public condemnation to death of the innocent Jesus, the sensitivity concerning Jesus’ public declaration to rise from the dead on the third day much to the annoyance of the Jewish leaders, coupled with the post-death Roman Watch provided by Pontius Pilate in acquiescing to the demand of the Jewish leaders, makes it virtually impossible that Pilate would round and accept a bribe under such charged political atmosphere.
Food for thought: Pontius Pilate had too much to lose politically in his relationship with the Jewish leaders to accept a bribe to take down Jesus from the cross before his death. If the bribery allegation is anything to be considered seriously, how do we reconcile the piercing of the side of Jesus with the spear by the soldier, with the physical manifestation of the outpouring of blood and water?
Declaration: Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side,and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:32-34)
©Author: Fred Aboe
