Casear Inscription: Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus

[Guest shiloh357]

"The Nazareth Inscription is a powerful piece of extrabiblical evidence that Christ’s Resurrection was already being proclaimed shortly after He was raised. It is a marble tablet, 24 inches (61 cm) by 15 inches (38 cm), written in the Greek language. Since the discovery was published in 1930, no scholar has produced evidence to disprove its authenticity. It’s an abridged decree by Emperor Claudius (AD 41–54), pronouncing the death penalty in Israel for anyone caught robbing bodies from tombs. (Normally, grave robbers stole valuables, not bodies!) It refers specifically to “sepulcher sealing tombs,” a special type used in Israel.

This “Decree of Caesar” is known as an imperial rescript, having the force of law. Rescripts frequently dealt with unusual legal, religious, or political issues arising in a specific region. The text fits both the style and structure of other rescripts of Claudius.

Matthew records one of the first responses to reports of Jesus’ Resurrection. The Jewish authorities invented a lie that the disciples had stolen the body (Matthew 28:13). Their goal was to spread an alternative story explaining why the body was missing and the tomb was empty. The Nazareth Inscription is very likely the Roman response to that very same problem."

To read the rest of the article:

https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/even-caesar-confirmed-resurrection/?utm_source=facebook-aig&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebook-aig

[Ezra]

Could this have been a result of Pilate's report to Caesar?

The Report of Pilate to the Emperor Claudius

This is found in the Greek Acts of Peter and Paul and as an appendix to the Gospel of Nicodemus in Latin. The translation is from M. R. James as given in Quasten's Patrology, vol. 1, p. 117.

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Pontius Pilate unto Claudius, greeting.

There befell of late a matter which I myself brought to light (or, made trial of): for the Jews through envy have punished themselves and their posterity with fearful judgements of their own fault; for whereas their fathers had promises (al. had announced unto them) that their God would send them out of heaven his holy one who should of right be called their king, and did promise that he would send him upon earth by a virgin; he then (or this God of the Hebrews, then) came when I was governor of Judea, and they beheld him enlightening the blind, cleansing lepers, healing the palsied, driving devils out of men, raising the dead, rebuking the winds, walking upon the waves of the sea dry-shod, and doing many other wonders, and all the people of the Jews calling him the Son of God: the chief priests therefore, moved with envy against him, took him and delivered him unto me and brought against him one false accusation after another, saying that he was a sorcerer and did things contrary to law.

But I, believing that these things were so, having scourged him, delivered him unto their will: and they crucified him, and when he was buried they set guards upon him. But while my soldiers watched him he rose again on the third day: yet so much was the malice of the Jews kindled that they gave money to the soldiers, saying: Say ye that his disciples stole away his body. But they, though they took the money, were not able to keep silence concerning that which had come to pass, for they also have testified that they saw him arisen and that they received money from the Jews. And these things have I reported (unto thy mightiness) for this cause, lest some other should lie unto thee(Lat. lest any lie otherwise) and though shouldest deem right to believe the false tales of the Jews.

[Bonky]

So let me see if I understand the logic here.   Are they saying that because of the supposed disappearance of one body, they felt the need to send out an edict telling people to stop stealing bodies?  Also I don't know if my browser is blocking anything on that page but I find it odd they didn't actually include the content of the edict.   The edict, if you read it, also talks about the moving of entire tombs and graves, not just the handling and moving of bodies.   It is also unclear of where this tablet came from.  

So I fail to see how this is evidence for any resurrection at all.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings,,,,,,

     Interesting,I saw some documentaries on this same Topic,,,,,,,,,it is very interesting     Bonky,I don't believe this came about as a "result" of "one body" being stolen,,,,,actually,the problem of "grave robbing" or sepulchres being raided & robbed of the "contents" was already an issue ,,,,,it was such an issue & an ongoing problem that the Jews immediately thought that this very thing might happen and they are the one's that concocted the "story" that Jesus Body was "stolen",,,,,,they had asked as a preventative measure (believing the followers of Christ may try to steal His Body to prove authenticity of Resurrection),to have the tomb sealed & guarded     I think the Nazareth Inscription is proof of all that had occurred,,,,,,,,,,,,,,              or so they are saying but it appears to be authentic,,,,,also,Pilates report(which I think is an even stronger support/confirmation)      It may or may not have anything to do with this rescript

[rontiger]

This is an important thread. Excellent work.

[Guest shiloh357]

On ‎6‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 9:47 AM, Bonky said:

So let me see if I understand the logic here.   Are they saying that because of the supposed disappearance of one body, they felt the need to send out an edict telling people to stop stealing bodies?  Also I don't know if my browser is blocking anything on that page but I find it odd they didn't actually include the content of the edict.   The edict, if you read it, also talks about the moving of entire tombs and graves, not just the handling and moving of bodies.   It is also unclear of where this tablet came from.  

So I fail to see how this is evidence for any resurrection at all.

At the time, the proclamation of Jesus' resurrection was being countered by a claim that the body of Jesus had been stolen from the grave.  The problem for the religious leaders was two-fold.   First of all, they were the ones who fabricated and tried to spread the story that the disciples had come and taken the bodies.  They paid off the Romans soldiers tasked with guarding the tomb to spread the story.  This obviously put the soldiers at risk because it would mean they were asleep when it happened and that would mean the death penalty for that kind of dereliction of duty.

The other problem, an unintended problem was that no one was able to produce the body of Jesus.  The disciples were in public proclaiming Jesus was raised.  No one could counter that claim and the disciples were willing to die for what their experience of having seen Jesus alive.   Their willingness to die for what they claimed makes no sense if they were just making up a story that had no basis in fact.  No one dies for a lie, particularly if they are the one who concocted it. 

 Their message gained a huge acceptance by thousands and so that might inspire some other group who wanted to promote their own leader.    What would stop some other band of "messianics"  from actually stealing the body of their leader and claiming a resurrection too?   It is likely the edict was ordered to stop copy cats and causing all kinds of unrest and potential fanatic uprisings.

[DARRELX]

This is a great but book that I am reading now which has a whole chapter on the evidence for the resurrection.