Was the Resurrection Just a Sequel?

A three foot tall tablet called Gabriel's Revelation is raising new questions about Jesus resurrection.

The artifact discovered nearly a decade ago near the Dead Sea is owned by a Swiss-Israeli antiques collector. The ink-on-stone wording on the tablet has been dated to a period just before Jesus' birth. While some Christians suggest it confirms Jesus’ resurrection, critics claim the 87 partial lines of archaic Hebrew explains whey early believers claimed their Messiah rose from the grave in three days.

Israel Knohl who teaches at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, says the artifact tells about the raising of a messiah after three days in the grave. But Knohl claims the reference is to a man killed by the Romans a couple of years before Jesus’ birth. Knohl suggests Christians later borrowed from the resurrection model.

Ada Yardeni, a specialist in ancient languages, rejects Knohl's conclusions but agrees the faded word in the tablet could mean "lives." Haifa University professor Devorah Diamant says the references on the tablet could be connected to other figures from the Bible and not necessarily the messiah.

Another professor at Hebrew University, Moshe Bar-Asher, who is also president of the Israeli Academy of Hebrew Language, says Knohl’s conclusions outrun his evidence.

The line in question about the Messiah “coming to life” could be a reference to him showing up on the scene, not rising from the dead. Christian scholars point out that if Knohl’s reading is right, it puts aside the modern idea that references by Jesus in the Gospels to his resurrection were added later.

Biblical Archeology Review has more on the topic and next month will publish “the full text of the stone Dead Sea Scroll, plus Professor Knohl’s reconstructions.”