The Burial & the Empty Tomb of Jesus (a.s.) according to the Gospels
بِسۡمِ
ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Looking at the various Gospel accounts of the burial and resurrection of Jesus (a.s.), there are inconsistencies. From a Muslim pint of view, the crucifixion never took place and therefore there is no discussion of the burial and resurrection. A look at the Gospels easily shows that the greatest amount of inconsistency lies in the accounts of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection. For a Muslim, this only creates greater certainty that these were fabricated.
سُوۡرَةُ
النِّسَاء
وَقَوۡلِهِمۡ إِنَّا قَتَلۡنَا ٱلۡمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ۬ مِّنۡهُۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينَۢا (١٥٧) بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيۡهِۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمً۬ا (١٥٨)
That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”; ― but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was Made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. ― Nay, Allah Raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. (Surah an-Nisa’:157-158)
The alleged burial of Jesus (a.s.) is historically implausible if there was a crucifixion. Crucifixion was intended as a shameful execution, which included allowing the bodies to remain nailed up until they rotted off. It would have been inconceivable that Pontius Pilate would have agreed to turn the body over to anyone for any reason. The Gospel accounts disagree on the length of time that Jesus (a.s.) was supposed to be in the tomb.
Matthew 12:40
40 Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea-beast, and the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
40 ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, οὕτως ἔσται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.
40 Sicut enim fuit Jonas in ventre ceti tribus diebus, et tribus noctibus, sic erit Filius hominis in corde terræ tribus diebus et tribus noctibus.
Mark 10:34
34 … who will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; but on the third day he will rise again.
34 καὶ ἐμπαίξουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐμπτύσουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν, καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστήσεται.
34 et illudent ei, et conspuent eum, et flagellabunt eum, et interficient eum: et tertia die resurget.
However, no resurrection narrative describes Jesus (a.s.) as being in a tomb for three full days, or for three days and three nights. The Gospels also disagree on whether the Romans guarded the tomb.
Matthew 27:62-66
62 Next day, the next after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered in Pilate’s presence, 63 and said, “Sir, we have recalled it to memory that this deceiver, while he yet lived, said, ‘I am to rise again after three days.’ 64 Give orders, then, that his tomb shall be securely guarded until the third day; or perhaps his disciples will come and steal him away. If they should then say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead, this last deceit will be more dangerous than the old.’” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have guards; away with you, make it secure as you best know how.” 66 And they went and made the tomb secure, putting a seal on the stone and setting a guard over it.
62 Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον, ἥτις ἐστὶν μετὰ τὴν παρασκευήν, συνήχθησαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι πρὸς Πιλᾶτον 63 λέγοντες: κύριε, ἐμνήσθημεν ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὁ πλάνος εἶπεν ἔτι ζῶν, μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐγείρομαι. 64 κέλευσον οὖν ἀσφαλισθῆναι τὸν τάφον ἕως τῆς τρίτης ἡμέρας, μήποτε ἐλθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ κλέψωσιν αὐτὸν καὶ εἴπωσιν τῷ λαῷ: ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἐσχάτη πλάνη χείρων τῆς πρώτης. 65 ἔφη αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος: ἔχετε κουστωδίαν: ὑπάγετε ἀσφαλίσασθε ὡς οἴδατε. 66 οἱ δὲ πορευθέντες ἠσφαλίσαντο τὸν τάφον, σφραγίσαντες τὸν λίθον μετὰ τῆς κουστωδίας.
62 Altera autem die, quæ est post Parasceven, convenerunt principes sacerdotum et pharisæi ad Pilatum, 63 dicentes: Domine, recordati sumus, quia seductor ille dixit adhuc vivens: Post tres dies resurgam. 64 Jube ergo custodiri sepulchrum usque in diem tertium: ne forte veniant discipuli ejus, et furentur eum, et dicant plebi: Surrexit a mortuis: et erit novissimus error pejor priore. 65 Ait illis Pilatus: Habetis custodiam, ite, custodite sicut scitis. 66 Illi autem abeuntes, munierunt sepulchrum, signantes lapidem, cum custodibus.
There is no similar account in the Gospels according to Mark, Luke or John. In the Gospels according to Mark and Luke, the women who approach the tomb do not appear to expect to see any guards.
It was a Jewish tradition to anoint a person’s body after they died, but who anointed Jesus (a.s.) and when?
Mark 16:1-3
1 And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome had bought spices, to come and anoint Jesus. 2 So they came to the tomb very early on the day after the Sabbath, at sunrise. 3 And they began to question among themselves, “Who is to roll the stone away for us from the door of the tomb?”
1 Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Ἰακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα, ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν. 2 καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου. 3 καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς: τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου;
1 Et cum transisset sabbatum, Maria Magdalene, et Maria Jacobi, et Salome emerunt aromata ut venientes ungerent Jesum. 2 Et valde mane una sabbatorum, veniunt ad monumentum, orto jam sole. 3 Et dicebant ad invicem: Quis revolvet nobis lapidem ab ostio monumenti?
Luke 23:55-56
55 And the women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was buried; 56 so they went back, and prepared spices and ointments, and while it was the Sabbath they kept still, as the law commanded.
55 Κατακολουθήσασαι δὲ αἱ γυναῖκες, αἵτινες ἦσαν συνεληλυθυῖαι ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας αὐτῷ, ἐθεάσαντο τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ ὡς ἐτέθη τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, 56 ὑποστρέψασαι δὲ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα καὶ μύρα: καὶ τὸ μὲν σάββατον ἡσύχασαν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν.
55 Subsecutæ autem mulieres, quæ cum eo venerant de Galilæa, viderunt monumentum, et quemadmodum positum erat corpus ejus. 56 Et revertentes paraverunt aromata, et unguenta: et sabbato quidem siluerunt secundum mandatum.
In the Gospel according to Matthew, Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body, and the women come the next morning, but no mention is made of the anointing of Jesus (a.s.).
John 19:39-40
39 and with him was Nicodemus, the same who made his first visit to Jesus by night; he brought with him a mixture of myrrh and aloes, of about a hundred pounds’ weight. 40 They took Jesus’ body, then, and wrapped it in winding-cloths with the spices; that is how the Jews prepare a body for burial.
39 ἦλθεν δὲ καὶ Νικόδημος, ὁ ἐλθὼν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς τὸ πρῶτον, φέρων μίγμα σμύρνης καὶ ἀλόης ὡς λίτρας ἑκατόν. 40 ἔλαβον οὖν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸ ὀθονίοις μετὰ τῶν ἀρωμάτων, καθὼς ἔθος ἐστὶν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐνταφιάζειν.
39 Venit autem et Nicodemus, qui venerat ad Jesum nocte primum, ferens mixturam myrrhæ et aloës, quasi libras centum. 40 Acceperunt ergo corpus Jesu, et ligaverunt illud linteis cum aromatibus, sicut mos est Judæis sepelire.
The women visiting Jesus’ (a.s.) tomb is central to the resurrection story, but again, the Gospel accounts differ as to who visited.
Matthew 28:1
1 On the night after the Sabbath, at the hour when dawn broke on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came near to contemplate the tomb.
1 Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων, τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς μίαν σαββάτων, ἦλθεν Μαριὰμ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία θεωρῆσαι τὸν τάφον.
1 Vespere autem sabbati, quæ lucescit in prima sabbati, venit Maria Magdalene, et altera Maria, videre sepulchrum.
Mark 16:1
1 And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome had bought spices, to come and anoint Jesus.
1 Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Ἰακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα, ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν.
1 Et cum transisset sabbatum, Maria Magdalene, et Maria Jacobi, et Salome emerunt aromata ut venientes ungerent Jesum.
Luke 24:10
10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, who told the apostles this;
10 ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ Ἰωάννα καὶ Μαρία ἡ Ἰακώβου, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα.
10 Erat autem Maria Magdalene, et Joanna, et Maria Jacobi, et ceteræ quæ cum eis erant, quæ dicebant ad apostolos hæc.
John 20:1-2
1 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, and found the stone moved away from the tomb door. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter, and that other disciple, whom Jesus loved;
1 Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου. 2 τρέχει οὖν καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον μαθητὴν ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς: ἦραν τὸν κύριον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.
1 Una autem sabbati, Maria Magdalene venit mane, cum adhuc tenebræ essent, ad monumentum: et vidit lapidem sublatum a monumento. 2 Cucurrit ergo, et venit ad Simonem Petrum, et ad alium discipulum, quem amabat Jesus, et dicit illis: Tulerunt Dominum de monumento, et nescimus ubi posuerunt eum.
Whoever visited and however many there were, it is also not clear when they arrived.
Matthew 28:1
1 On the night after the Sabbath, at the hour when dawn broke on the first day of the week ...
1 Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων, τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς μίαν σαββάτων, ἦλθεν Μαριὰμ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία θεωρῆσαι τὸν τάφον.
1 Vespere autem sabbati, quæ lucescit in prima sabbati, venit Maria Magdalene, et altera Maria, videre sepulchrum.
Mark 16:2
2 So they came to the tomb very early on the day after the Sabbath, at sunrise.
2 καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου.
2 Et valde mane una sabbatorum, veniunt ad monumentum, orto jam sole.
Luke 24:1
1 And at very early dawn on the first day of the week …
1 Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέως ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα ἦλθον φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα.
1 Una autem sabbati valde diluculo venerunt ad monumentum, portantes quæ paraverant aromata:
John 20:1
1 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark …
1 Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου.
1 Una autem sabbati, Maria Magdalene venit mane, cum adhuc tenebræ essent, ad monumentum: et vidit lapidem sublatum a monumento.
Further, it is not clear what the women saw when they arrived at the tomb.
Matthew 28:2
2 And suddenly there was a great trembling of the earth,
because an angel of the Lord came to the place, descending from heaven, and
rolled away the stone and sat over it
2 καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας: ἄγγελος γὰρ κυρίου καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ προσελθὼν ἀπεκύλισεν τὸν λίθον καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ.
2 Et ecce terræmotus factus est magnus. Angelus enim Domini descendit de cælo: et accedens revolvit lapidem, et sedebat super eum:
Mark 16:4
4 Then they looked up, and saw that the stone, great as it was,
had been rolled away already.
4 καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος: ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα.
4 Et respicientes viderunt revolutum lapidem. Erat quippe magnus valde.
Luke 24:2
2 … and found the stone already rolled away from the door of the tomb.
2 εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου,
2 et invenerunt lapidem revolutum a monumento.
John 20:1
1 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, and found the stone moved away from the tomb door.
1 Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου.
1 Una autem sabbati, Maria Magdalene venit mane, cum adhuc tenebræ essent, ad monumentum: et vidit lapidem sublatum a monumento.
The women are also not alone for long, but it is not clear who greets them.
Matthew 28:2
2 And suddenly there was a great trembling of the earth, because an angel of the Lord came to the place, descending from heaven, and rolled away the stone and sat over it.
2 καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας: ἄγγελος γὰρ κυρίου καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ προσελθὼν ἀπεκύλισεν τὸν λίθον καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ.
2 Et ecce terræmotus factus est magnus. Angelus enim Domini descendit de cælo: et accedens revolvit lapidem, et sedebat super eum:
Mark 16:5
5 And they went into the tomb, and saw there, on the right, a young man seated, wearing a white robe; and they were dismayed.
5 καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον καθήμενον ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς περιβεβλημένον στολὴν λευκήν, καὶ ἐξεθαμβήθησαν.
5 Et introëuntes in monumentum viderunt juvenem sedentem in dextris, coopertum stola candida, et obstupuerunt.
Luke 24:3-4
3 They went into it, and could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They were still puzzling over this, when two men came and stood by them, in shining garments.
3 εἰσελθοῦσαι δὲ οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. 4 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ:
3 Et ingressæ non invenerunt corpus Domini Jesu. 4 Et factum est, dum mente consternatæ essent de isto, ecce duo viri steterunt secus illas in veste fulgenti.
John 20:12
12 Only Peter rose up and ran to the tomb, where he looked in, and saw the grave-clothes lying by themselves, and went away full of surmise over what had befallen.
12 καὶ θεωρεῖ δύο ἀγγέλους ἐν λευκοῖς καθεζομένους, ἕνα πρὸς τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ ἕνα πρὸς τοῖς ποσίν, ὅπου ἔκειτο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
12 et vidit duos angelos in albis sedentes, unum ad caput, et unum ad pedes, ubi positum fuerat corpus Jesu.
Despite the miracle, the Gospels are inconsistent as to how the women react.
Matthew 28:8
8 Whereupon they left the tomb, in fear and in great rejoicing, and ran to tell the news to his disciples.
8 καὶ ἀπελθοῦσαι ταχὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου μετὰ φόβου καὶ χαρᾶς μεγάλης ἔδραμον ἀπαγγεῖλαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ.
8 Et exierunt cito de monumento cum timore et gaudio magno, currentes nuntiare discipulis ejus.
Mark 16:8
8 So they came out and ran away from the tomb, trembling and awe-struck, and said nothing to anyone, out of fear.
8 καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου: εἶχεν γὰρ αὐτὰς τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπαν: ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.
8 At illæ exeuntes, fugerunt de monumento: invaserat enim eas tremor et pavor: et nemini quidquam dixerunt: timebant enim.
Luke 24:9
9 and returned from the tomb, bringing news of all this to the eleven apostles and to all the rest.
9 καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς λοιποῖς.
9 Et regressæ a monumento nuntiaverunt hæc omnia illis undecim, et ceteris omnibus.
John 20:10-11
10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, who told the apostles this; 11 but to their minds the story seemed madness, and they could not believe it.
10 ἀπῆλθον οὖν πάλιν πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ μαθηταί. 11 Μαρία δὲ εἱστήκει πρὸς τῷ μνημείῳ ἔξω κλαίουσα. ὡς οὖν ἔκλαιεν παρέκυψεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,
10 Abierunt ergo iterum discipuli ad semetipsos. 11 Maria autem stabat ad monumentum foris, plorans. Dum ergo fleret, inclinavit se, et prospexit in monumentum:
Of this, many Christians
would never ponder, and this is something that will be made clear with the
return of Jesus (a.s.) as the
Messiah.
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