Does the bible provide extraordinary evidence of Jesus' resurrection?

https://carm.org/does-bible-provide-extraordinary-evidence-jesus-resurrection

11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13 saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Matthew 28:11-15

If He never rose, there would never have been a need for this conspiracy! The elders knew the tomb was empty hence they had to act fast to stop more people from believing on Him!
Besides, the disciples were broken, frightened and holed up in a room in Jerusalem for fear of their lives, hence it is ridiculous to assume 11 men in that condition will overcome a group of fully armed soldiers, roll away a very heavy stone and steal the Body!!!

Scholar8200:
11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13 saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Matthew 28:11-15

If He never rose, there would never have been a need for this conspiracy! The elders knew the tomb was empty hence they had to act fast to stop more people from believing on Him!
Besides, the disciples were broken, frightened and holed up in a room in Jerusalem for fear of their lives, hence it is ridiculous to assume 11 men in that condition will overcome a group of fully armed soldiers, roll away a very heavy stone and steal the Body!!!

nice one my brother.
His body was moved against Jewish law and custom and those guards were guarding nothing. Very funny.

Scholar8200:
11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13 saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Matthew 28:11-15

If He never rose, there would never have been a need for this conspiracy! The elders knew the tomb was empty hence they had to act fast to stop more people from believing on Him!
Besides, the disciples were broken, frightened and holed up in a room in Jerusalem for fear of their lives, hence it is ridiculous to assume 11 men in that condition will overcome a group of fully armed soldiers, roll away a very heavy stone and steal the Body!!!

Harry Potter provided the evidence of the reality of its claims in the Harry Potter book.
We need evidence extrinsic of the bible.

I wrote a book about how Eminem created the universe and some unimaginable weird claims, the evidence of such extraordinary claims are in my book. Does it make sense. If it made sense to you, everything can actually make sense to you.

menesheh:


Harry Potter provided the evidence of the reality of its claims in the Harry Potter book.
We need evidence extrinsic of the bible.

I wrote a book about how Eminem created the universe and some unimaginable weird claims, the evidence of such extraordinary claims are in my book. Does it make sense. If it made sense to you, everything can actually make sense to you.

Is there a reason why there are no conspiracy theories regarding your leprechauns fairies?

OLAADEGBU:


Is there a reason why there are no conspiracy theories regarding your leprechauns fairies?

make your point more clearer

menesheh:


make your point more clearer

The reason why you are not asking for the evidence of the fairies depicted in the picture I posted above is because they do not exist.

Using the content of a book to confirm its credibility and actuality is, yeah, as sensible as it seems.

OLAADEGBU:


The reason why you are not asking for the evidence of the fairies depicted in the picture I posted above is because they do not exist.

But how do you compare this with a story that people openly claim to be true and warn others of the danger of hell if they do not believe it too?

OLAADEGBU:


The reason why you are not asking for the evidence of the fairies depicted in the picture I posted above is because they do not exist.

I will ask for evidence if i come in contact with a believer of such fairy, especially if the believer is using such idea to lobby for matter that's meant for public consumption.

Scholar8200:
11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13 saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Matthew 28:11-15

If He never rose, there would never have been a need for this conspiracy! The elders knew the tomb was empty hence they had to act fast to stop more people from believing on Him!
Besides, the disciples were broken, frightened and holed up in a room in Jerusalem for fear of their lives, hence it is ridiculous to assume 11 men in that condition will overcome a group of fully armed soldiers, roll away a very heavy stone and steal the Body!!!

Found in no other place than the Bible.

Pr0ton:


Using the content of a book to confirm its credibility and actuality is, yeah, as sensible as it seems.

There is what we call internal evidence as well as external evidence. One of the valid ways you can prove that Obama is living in the White House is by looking into the White House.

Pr0ton:


But how do you compare this with a story that people openly claim to be true and warn others of the danger of hell if they do not believe it too?

Since people believe it to be true then you look at the evidence they provide. No one believes fairies are true and that is why you will not see people looking for evidence for it's existence.

menesheh:



I will ask for evidence if i come in contact with a believer of such fairy, especially if the believer is using such idea to lobby for matter that's meant for public consumption.

You will not see such a person because fairies do not exist.

Pr0ton:



Found in no other place than the Bible.

Let this be our Keynote:

Jewish scholars have paid more attention to the person of Y'shua (Jesus) in the last hundred years than they have in the previous nineteen hundred. None deny his Jewishness. After all, Jesus was born to a Jewish mother, lived in Israel and taught a group of Jewish disciples. He also celebrated Jewish holidays. Modern Jewish theologian and rabbi, Pinchas Lapide, notes:

The love of Jesus and the academic interest in him and his impact were implanted in me by Jewish teachers like Joseph Klausner, for whom Jesus was the most Jewish of all Jews," Martin Buber, who perceived him as "his great brother," and Leo Baeck, the last luminary of the German school of rabbis, who in the year 1938 at the time of the Nazi Kristallnacht managed to write of him: "We see before us a man who according to all the signs of his personality discloses the Jewish character, in whom the purity and worth of Judaism is so specially and so clearly revealed.1


Meaning He once walked on the earth just as the Bible records; we cannot be more versed in the Jewish history than the jews themselves who affirmed the above!

Now concerning the resurrection these are the theories the first being the original one given by the elders and is still believed by some today!!!

1. STOLEN BY THE DISCIPLES

One popular theory about the resurrection, which is even mentioned in the New Testament itself as a charge by Jesus' detractors, is that the disciples stole the body. This provides a convenient excuse not to pursue the issue further, but it ignores the facts.

Fact one: Had the body been stolen by his followers, all that would be needed to disprove the disciples' claim would be to produce the body. No body has ever been produced.

Fact two: There were Roman guards at the site of the tomb. How, then could any of Jesus' followers have stolen his body?

Fact three: There was a giant stone covering the tomb, which would have taken several people to move. The guards could not have overlooked such an operation.

Fact four: Historically, we know that the early followers of Y'shua were persecuted for their belief. They were offered two options: renounce their belief in the resurrection or die. It seems unlikely that, were the disciples to have stolen the body, they would have all been ready to die rather than confess their deeds. It is true that people die everyday for beliefs which are not true. But these are lies which they fully believe to be true. How often do people die for what they know to be a fabrication?

Fact five: Whatever else can be said about the original followers of Y'shua, they themselves certainly believed that Y'shua rose from the dead. They did not steal the body.

2. SWOON THEORY

This position states that Y'shua went to the cross and that his hands and feet were pierced, but that he did not actually die. Rather, he merely fainted. Then, after being placed in a damp tomb-bleeding and without food or water for three days-- Y'shua was revived and was healed. He then somehow rolled away the stone, got past the guards and went on to tell others that he had indeed risen from the dead.

One offshoot of this theory came from the late Hugh Schoenfeld in his best selling book, The Passover Plot. Schoenfeld believed that it was Y'shua's plan to pretend to be the Messiah and that he attempted to fake his death by being given a drug (which would have made him swoon, giving the appearance of death). This plan was thwarted when a Roman soldier struck a spear into his side, which caused his death. The body was then hidden and when Y'shua's followers saw "an unknown young man," they mistook him for their risen Messiah.

Schoenfeld gave no reason as to why he accepted much of the New Testament as true and why he regarded some portions as suspect. Perhaps he would have been better off denying that Y'shua ever existed. At least then he would not have been promoting a theory which takes more of a leap of faith than the New Testament account itself. But he knew, as all skeptics do, that the New Testament cannot be dismissed lightly. It is a cohesive, coherent and convincing book.

3. ONE OF MANY RESURRECTIONS

While Hugh Schoenfeld accepted most of the New Testament as reliable history, only to take a detour around the resurrection, another modern Jewish scholar presents an equally interesting hypothesis. Pinchas Lapide is an orthodox Jewish scholar who has a very unorthodox view of the resurrection of Y'shua. He went so far as to declare,

I accept the resurrection of Easter Sunday not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as an historical event.6

Lapide examined the New Testament and concluded that the recorded events are too rooted in history for there to be any major revisions or deceptions involved in the writing. He believes that Y'shua physically rose from the dead. Amazingly, Lapide falls short of recognizing the implications of this truth for his own life. In his book, The Resurrection of Jesus, Lapide regards Y'shua as a type of role model for gentiles to prepare them for the coming of the Jewish Messiah. To reach this viewpoint, Lapide had to reject the very same documents which were the basis for his belief in Y'shua's resurrection in the first place. Indeed, the New Testament mentions on virtually every page the fact that Y'shua is the promised Messiah, the one whose coming was foretold by Moses and the Jewish prophets. There is no consistency or logic in Lapide's argument.

[Two people discussing the resurrection]

Evidence from Changed Lives

One response to all these "theories" is to say, "Who's to say what is true? It's all a matter of speculation." After all, one can reason, even in this century we are presented with mysteries to which we probably won't get answers--What ever happened to Amelia Earhardt? Who killed Kennedy? Was there a conspiracy in the death of Martin Luther King?

To some people, the controversy over these events is proof that we cannot possibly know for sure what happened concerning an incident which occurred almost two millennia ago.

However, the evidence for the resurrection of Y'shua goes far beyond the discussion of source documents and historical records. In fact, evidence is still being presented today as individuals are experiencing the changed life which is the result of that resurrection.

Y'shua was not a mere victim of a mob. Nor was his death an accident. It was the very purpose of his mission. He gave up his life as an atonement for sin. His words mean nothing apart from this final action. The "good news" is that the Messiah willingly stood in our place and, by dying, took the penalty which rightfully belongs to each one of us. But he didn't stay dead. By rising from the grave he defeated the power of sin and death and enables individuals to have a new relationship with God. And it is this power-- the power of the resurrection--which is available to anyone who believes. This power has been changing lives (of both Jews and gentiles) since the first century.

One Jewish man who knew of this life-changing experience was Alfred Edersheim, the British scholar and author of the last century. His book, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, was originally published in the 1880's and is still considered one of the most authoritative sources on the subject. His Jewish view of Y'shua pre-dated the more recent wave of Jewish scholars who have been increasingly curious about the New Testament. To conclude his chapter on the resurrection he writes,

The importance of all this can not be adequately expressed in words. A dead Christ might have been a Teacher and Wonder-worker, and remembered and loved as such. But only a risen and Living Christ could be the Saviour, the Life, and the Life-Giver--and as such preached to all men. And of this most blessed truth we have the fullest and most unquestionable evidence. 7

There is only one reason why a Jew should believe in Y'shua. It is the same reason why a gentile should believe. It has nothing to do with convenience or social standing. Nor does it have anything to do with Y'shua's good moral teachings. The only reason anyone should be for Y'shua is because of who he is and what he has done:

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Messiah Y'shua came into the world to save sinners.

1 Timothy 1:15

The claims of Y'shua stand alone, even when compared with the sayings of other religious leaders. And to punctuate his claims there is an historical event which stands as a challenge. The New Testament does not present the resurrection of Y'shua as merely part of a creed that must be followed by insiders. It is presented to all people as an historical fact, and there are only two possible responses to it. Either it happened or it didn't.

What do you think? Will your conclusion be determined by the reflex of tradition? Will you dismiss the issue because of twentieth century pre-suppositions? Or will you choose to explore an ancient tomb--where all too few have dared to look
http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/v11-n06/didhe


Take particular notice that the lie given by the elders is still being bandied about today!

OLAADEGBU:


You will not see such a person because fairies do not exist.

So do jesus and those phenomenons associated with him. They are under same umbrella.

Scholar8200:

1. STOLEN BY THE DISCIPLES

One popular theory about the resurrection, which is even mentioned in the New Testament itself as a charge by Jesus' detractors, is that the disciples stole the body. This provides a convenient excuse not to pursue the issue further, but it ignores the facts.

Fact one: Had the body been stolen by his followers, all that would be needed to disprove the disciples' claim would be to produce the body. No body has ever been produced.

Fact two: There were Roman guards at the site of the tomb. How, then could any of Jesus' followers have stolen his body?

Fact three: There was a giant stone covering the tomb, which would have taken several people to move. The guards could not have overlooked such an operation.

Fact four: Historically, we know that the early followers of Y'shua were persecuted for their belief. They were offered two options: renounce their belief in the resurrection or die. It seems unlikely that, were the disciples to have stolen the body, they would have all been ready to die rather than confess their deeds. It is true that people die everyday for beliefs which are not true. But these are lies which they fully believe to be true. How often do people die for what they know to be a fabrication?

Fact five: Whatever else can be said about the original followers of Y'shua, they themselves certainly believed that Y'shua rose from the dead. They did not steal the body.

2. SWOON THEORY

This position states that Y'shua went to the cross and that his hands and feet were pierced, but that he did not actually die. Rather, he merely fainted. Then, after being placed in a damp tomb-bleeding and without food or water for three days-- Y'shua was revived and was healed. He then somehow rolled away the stone, got past the guards and went on to tell others that he had indeed risen from the dead.

One offshoot of this theory came from the late Hugh Schoenfeld in his best selling book, The Passover Plot. Schoenfeld believed that it was Y'shua's plan to pretend to be the Messiah and that he attempted to fake his death by being given a drug (which would have made him swoon, giving the appearance of death). This plan was thwarted when a Roman soldier struck a spear into his side, which caused his death. The body was then hidden and when Y'shua's followers saw "an unknown young man," they mistook him for their risen Messiah.

Schoenfeld gave no reason as to why he accepted much of the New Testament as true and why he regarded some portions as suspect. Perhaps he would have been better off denying that Y'shua ever existed. At least then he would not have been promoting a theory which takes more of a leap of faith than the New Testament account itself. But he knew, as all skeptics do, that the New Testament cannot be dismissed lightly. It is a cohesive, coherent and convincing book.

3. ONE OF MANY RESURRECTIONS

While Hugh Schoenfeld accepted most of the New Testament as reliable history, only to take a detour around the resurrection, another modern Jewish scholar presents an equally interesting hypothesis. Pinchas Lapide is an orthodox Jewish scholar who has a very unorthodox view of the resurrection of Y'shua. He went so far as to declare,

I accept the resurrection of Easter Sunday not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as an historical event.6

Lapide examined the New Testament and concluded that the recorded events are too rooted in history for there to be any major revisions or deceptions involved in the writing. He believes that Y'shua physically rose from the dead. Amazingly, Lapide falls short of recognizing the implications of this truth for his own life. In his book, The Resurrection of Jesus, Lapide regards Y'shua as a type of role model for gentiles to prepare them for the coming of the Jewish Messiah. To reach this viewpoint, Lapide had to reject the very same documents which were the basis for his belief in Y'shua's resurrection in the first place. Indeed, the New Testament mentions on virtually every page the fact that Y'shua is the promised Messiah, the one whose coming was foretold by Moses and the Jewish prophets. There is no consistency or logic in Lapide's argument.

[Two people discussing the resurrection]

Evidence from Changed Lives

One response to all these "theories" is to say, "Who's to say what is true? It's all a matter of speculation." After all, one can reason, even in this century we are presented with mysteries to which we probably won't get answers--What ever happened to Amelia Earhardt? Who killed Kennedy? Was there a conspiracy in the death of Martin Luther King?

To some people, the controversy over these events is proof that we cannot possibly know for sure what happened concerning an incident which occurred almost two millennia ago.

However, the evidence for the resurrection of Y'shua goes far beyond the discussion of source documents and historical records. In fact, evidence is still being presented today as individuals are experiencing the changed life which is the result of that resurrection.

Y'shua was not a mere victim of a mob. Nor was his death an accident. It was the very purpose of his mission. He gave up his life as an atonement for sin. His words mean nothing apart from this final action. The "good news" is that the Messiah willingly stood in our place and, by dying, took the penalty which rightfully belongs to each one of us. But he didn't stay dead. By rising from the grave he defeated the power of sin and death and enables individuals to have a new relationship with God. And it is this power-- the power of the resurrection--which is available to anyone who believes. This power has been changing lives (of both Jews and gentiles) since the first century.

One Jewish man who knew of this life-changing experience was Alfred Edersheim, the British scholar and author of the last century. His book, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, was originally published in the 1880's and is still considered one of the most authoritative sources on the subject. His Jewish view of Y'shua pre-dated the more recent wave of Jewish scholars who have been increasingly curious about the New Testament. To conclude his chapter on the resurrection he writes,

The importance of all this can not be adequately expressed in words. A dead Christ might have been a Teacher and Wonder-worker, and remembered and loved as such. But only a risen and Living Christ could be the Saviour, the Life, and the Life-Giver--and as such preached to all men. And of this most blessed truth we have the fullest and most unquestionable evidence. 7

There is only one reason why a Jew should believe in Y'shua. It is the same reason why a gentile should believe. It has nothing to do with convenience or social standing. Nor does it have anything to do with Y'shua's good moral teachings. The only reason anyone should be for Y'shua is because of who he is and what he has done:

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Messiah Y'shua came into the world to save sinners.

1 Timothy 1:15

The claims of Y'shua stand alone, even when compared with the sayings of other religious leaders. And to punctuate his claims there is an historical event which stands as a challenge. The New Testament does not present the resurrection of Y'shua as merely part of a creed that must be followed by insiders. It is presented to all people as an historical fact, and there are only two possible responses to it. Either it happened or it didn't.

What do you think? Will your conclusion be determined by the reflex of tradition? Will you dismiss the issue because of twentieth century pre-suppositions? Or will you choose to explore an ancient tomb--where all too few have dared to look
http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/v11-n06/didhe


Take particular notice that the lie given by the elders is still being bandied about today!

Copy, paste will not do you any good because you on your own didn't read the copy and paste material yourself.

menesheh:


So do jesus and those phenomenons associated with him. They are under same umbrella.

People ask for evidence such as this topic because they do exist.

menesheh:


Copy, paste will not do you any good because you on your own didn't read the copy and paste material yourself.

Prove the highlighted!!!
(That is the problem - sweeping generalisations!!!)

OLAADEGBU:


People ask for evidence such as this topic because they do exist.

Ohhh is that where you are coming from. Is silly argue.

Anything you ever ask for its evidence to ascertain its factuality is existing. No bro. Don't reason that way.

We ask for evidence of things to know whether is true or not.

Over to you, show us evidence of historical jesus as represented in the new testament. Just evidence outside the bible.

OLAADEGBU:


Since people believe it to be true then you look at the evidence they provide. No one believes fairies are true and that is why you will not see people looking for evidence for it's existence.

What you have provided isn't worth evidence. How can you make contradicting edited self-attesting history-conflicting copies upon copies of anonymous manuscripts an imperative evidence for a delicate claim? It doesn't work that way. If the evidence was true there would be no argument today just as there is none about the year Nigeria gained independence. The 'evidence' provided has been debunked, proven to be false, invented and forged.

But we can always have delusioned individuals, which is reasonably common to those with religion.

Scholar8200:

Prove the highlighted!!!
(That is the problem - sweeping generalisations!!!)

I assumed that but main beef here is that you should stop copy and paste.

OLAADEGBU:
Does the bible provide extraordinary evidence of Jesus' resurrection?

https://carm.org/does-bible-provide-extraordinary-evidence-jesus-resurrection

Why do humans need extraordinary evidence to believe in Jesus n ressurection

Scholar8200

I didn't read all that, but reading 1 and 2 and some part in 3 made me conclude the rest could turn out a waste of time.

'Stolen By The Disciples' being presented as evidence could be absurd than much as you think it is to think it is. It 'could' be one successful and popular misconception or fabrigated hearsay from which those 'facts' are buildt off, and consequently render the 'facts' shaky or worst fallacy. More? It is believed by some. And if it were true, it's not the type of evidence one can hold against any one who can't just buy it; it's not rational enough, same as 2 isn't rational enough to present as evidence for s
uch a claim. They are the "save-me evidence" one can run to when in short of real/tangible evidence.

Scholar8200:
11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13 saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
Matthew 28:11-15

If He never rose, there would never have been a need for this conspiracy! The elders knew the tomb was empty hence they had to act fast to stop more people from believing on Him!
Besides, the disciples were broken, frightened and holed up in a room in Jerusalem for fear of their lives, hence it is ridiculous to assume 11 men in that condition will overcome a group of fully armed soldiers, roll away a very heavy stone and steal the Body!!!

what where armed soldiers doing in Jesus's tomb?

menesheh:


I assumed that but main beef here is that you should stop copy and paste.

Well no man is an island of knowledge. I believe the main contention should be that what is quoted is relevant to the topic at hand. That's by the way though.

chuna1985:



what where armed soldiers doing in Jesus's tomb?

They were sent there by Pilate at the request of the elders and pharisees to secure the tomb.
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Matthew 27:62-66

Who were the watch? the soldiers

11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
Matthew 28:11-12

Scholar8200:
They were sent there by Pilate at the request of the elders and pharisees to secure the tomb.
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Matthew 27:62-66

Who were the watch? the soldiers

11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
Matthew 28:11-12

Pontius Pilate does not work for Hebrew elders. The Hebrew elders are the slaves of the Roman empire.

OLAADEGBU:


There is what we call internal evidence as well as external evidence. One of the valid ways you can prove that Obama is living in the White House is by looking into the White House.

That is not always applicable.. Since a book that says 'dragons exist' can't be held true merely by looking into it.

chuna1985:



Pontius Pilate does not work for Hebrew elders. The Hebrew elders are the slaves of the Roman empire.

They were sent there by Pilate at the REQUEST (not command) of the elders and pharisees. He could have declined! They made an appeal and it was granted.

Pr0ton:


That is not always applicable.. Since a book that says 'dragons exist' can't be held true merely by looking into it.

Israel still exists today. Do they relate (positively or negatively) with this historical event?

Scholar8200:
Israel still exists today. Do they relate (positively or negatively) with this historical event?

If people outside Israel today can relate positively why can't they? There will always be a Thomas too, even in Israel.