Why Trust the Testimonies about the Resurrection?
When multiple independent sources agree on the key contours of a story, it is worth considering the possibility that the narrative they share is credible. That is especially true when this shared story includes details that do not place the storyteller in the best light. So, what does all of this have to do with whether or not the resurrection really happened? Multiple independent sources agree on the same general sequence of events regarding the story of Jesus's resurrection. Every retelling of the resurrection mentions that Jesus died, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, and that he appeared to specific individuals and groups. All four New Testament Gospels and a later independent retelling of the resurrection preserved in the manuscript Papyrus Cairo 10759 identify Mary Magdalene as the first witness at the empty tomb. When it comes to when and how Jesus died, the eminent Roman historian Tacitus agrees with the Gospel writers that Jesus was crucified in Jude...