The DaVinci Myth vs. The Gospel Truth - Online Christian Library

THE DA VINCI MYTH VS THE GOSPEL TRUTH
from the dead (e.g., Acts 2:23, 24).
Second, there is the empty tomb. Again, many
adherents to many religions can travel to the place where
the founder of their religion is currently entombed and
say, “Here lies the dust of our estimable founder.” You
cannot say that about Christ. He is not in the grave. He
is risen.
Paul Maier, professor of Ancient History at Western
Michigan University, points out a significant fact about
the empty tomb: “We often overlook the empty tomb.
But I think the empty tomb is very important, because
that is something an ancient historian can get at.” In his
book, In The Fullness of Time, Dr. Maier sites Jewish
sources dating back to the first century confirming that
the tomb was empty. 118 “The evidence is overpowering
that the tomb was empty.”
For 1,700 years there was virtually no controversy
that the tomb was empty. The Jews didn’t deny it. The
Romans didn’t deny it. Nobody denied it . . . until just
recently. With our vast “rear view mirror” wisdom, we
look back through more than 1,900 years and we decide,
“Oh, the tomb wasn’t empty.” Too bad those who were
there couldn’t have been so smart.
Third, there is the Roman Seal. The huge rock had a
rope stretched across it; the clay was fastened to the rope
and to the wall of the tomb, and the Roman seal was
impressed upon it. If you broke that, you broke the seal.
If you broke the seal, you “incurred the wrath of Roman
law.” 119 The penalty was death.
Fourth, there was the Roman guard. According to
112