Apologetics · Subscriber investigation
The Empty Tomb and the Burden of Proof
What a historian is actually entitled to conclude from the earliest sources — and what he is not.
By J. T. Hollan|Aug 29, 2026|12 min
Updated Sep 2, 2026 at 8:51 PM EDT
Begin where a historian begins: with sources, dates, and the ordinary constraints of testimony.
The tradition Paul hands on in 1 Corinthians 15 is not Paul's composition. Its structure, vocabulary, and Semitic features mark it as received material, and Paul says as much. The scholarly range for its origin clusters within five years of the crucifixion, and a number of critical scholars place it inside three. Whatever one concludes about its content, this is not late legend.
Four data points
The question is not whether miracles are likely. It is what explains the data we have.
Already have an account? Sign in
Subscriber investigation
Two ways to read this article
Documents cost money to obtain, authenticate, and defend. Subscriptions pay for the filings, the court records, and the time it takes to read them twice. Apologetics essays stay free for everyone, always.
Create an account
Free
- Three metered articles a month
- Every apologetics essay, always free
- Save stories to your account
Subscribe
$8 / month
- Unlimited access to every investigation
- The full Evidence Desk, unredacted
- You fund the filings and the court records
This article continues at The Crozier Report. Subscribe to keep reading.