Resurrection culture

[fhkjds]

In a lot of arguments about the resurrection I hear Christians say that there wasn’t an “antecedent” idea of resurrection in first-century Judaism, except at the end of time. But in the Bible it says that Herod thought that John the Baptist had come back from the dead, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and during the crucifixion that some people raised out of their graves when there was an earthquake. Doesn’t this make it look like many people believed resurrection was somewhat common?

I would really appreciate your insight on this issue.

Thanks

 

[Call_Me_V]

In a lot of arguments about the resurrection I hear Christians say that there wasn’t an “antecedent” idea of resurrection in first-century Judaism, except at the end of time. But in the Bible it says that Herod thought that John the Baptist had come back from the dead, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and during the crucifixion that some people raised out of their graves when there was an earthquake. Doesn’t this make it look like many people believed resurrection was somewhat common?

For the part about John the Baptist, yes, I would say so. If accurate, it shows that the Jews were open to and fairly willing to believe in a resurrection (after all, they came to the belief simply by seeing someone that reminded them of John the Baptist, so it seems to me like they must have been fairly predisposed towards such a belief).
Just my two cents,
V

 

[redhen]

Also in Mark’s gospel;

27Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

sounds like rebirth or reincarnation to me.

 

[Call_Me_V]

Also in Mark’s gospel;

27Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

sounds like rebirth or **reincarnation **to me.

Yeah, I always wondered about that. During the part you quoted, I don’t think that anyone looking at Jesus would mistake him for John the Baptist (unless they were identical twins), so did some of these Jews hold some kind of belief in reincarnation or something along those lines? Or did they perhaps believe that people were resurrected in new, different looking bodies? It’s interesting.

V

 

[Saintlucy]

Yeah, I always wondered about that. During the part you quoted, I don’t think that anyone looking at Jesus would mistake him for John the Baptist (unless they were identical twins), so did some of these Jews hold some kind of belief in reincarnation or something along those lines? Or did they perhaps believe that people were resurrected in new, different looking bodies? It’s interesting.

V

Remember that John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin. Maybe they did look alike. Sorry, not a very enlightening offering to the thread from me, but, just a thought.

 

[Call_Me_V]

Remember that John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin. Maybe they did look alike. Sorry, not a very enlightening offering to the thread from me, but, just a thought.

Perhaps, though I find it hard to imagine they looked enough alike to be mistaken for each other anyone who knew both of them. I don’t know though, we have no idea what John the Baptist looked like, and I haven’t done the research to know whether or not our knowledge of what Jesus looks like is even accurate, so it’s all just speculation on my part.

Anyways, the point is that yes, if the Bible is accurate, it seems the Jews of the time were very much open to the idea of a Resurrection, and, some seemed even eager to accept the idea.

V

 

[NHInsider]

Perhaps, though I find it hard to imagine they looked enough alike to be mistaken for each other anyone who knew both of them. I don’t know though, we have no idea what John the Baptist looked like, and I haven’t done the research to know whether or not our knowledge of what Jesus looks like is even accurate, so it’s all just speculation on my part.

I think it is very difficult for us to conceive of what it was like to live in a time when there were no pictures. Most people would have only heard of Jesus, and of John, and would have had no idea what either of them looked like.

Anyways, the point is that yes, if the Bible is accurate, it seems the Jews of the time were very much open to the idea of a Resurrection, and, some seemed even eager to accept the idea.

There was in fact a division within Jewish scholars about whether or not there was an afterlife. I’m not sure where the people OP is referring to get the idea that there was “no idea of resurrection in first-century Judaism” since the point is made in the gospels that the Sadducees disagreed with the Pharisees and also with Jesus over precisely this issue (Mark 12:18-27). The belief in an afterlife develops gradually in Judaism - there is some indication that King David believed in it but before that there is little evidence of such a belief.

 

[Call_Me_V]

There was in fact a division within Jewish scholars about whether or not there was an afterlife. I’m not sure where the people OP is referring to get the idea that there was “no idea of resurrection in first-century Judaism” since the point is made in the gospels that the Sadducees disagreed with the Pharisees and also with Jesus over precisely this issue (Mark 12:18-27). The belief in an afterlife develops gradually in Judaism - there is some indication that King David believed in it but before that there is little evidence of such a belief.

Having heard Christian apologists like William Lane Craig make the point before, I don’t think that they’re claiming there was no idea of a resurrection. The christian apologists I’ve heard usually say that Jews believed in a “general resurrection” at the end of time, but had no belief in any kind of individual resurrection prior to the general resurrection. Therefore, the apologists argue, the apostles would not have been inclined to believe such a tale of an individual resurrection, such as that of Jesus, therefore the apostles would never have believed in such a resurrection unless they had truly seen it with their own eyes.

The John the Baptist quote, given by the OP, is meant to illustrate that in fact some Jews did come to a belief in an individual resurrection, prior to the general resurrection at the end of time, even without seeing any actual evidence of it, thus debunking that particular point that these apologists have tried to make (which is, of course, only one of the many points that are made concerning the resurrection of Jesus, which may or may not be valid, but this particular point, that Jews could never have thought up an individual resurrection, is untrue even according to Christian scriptures, and should be discarded by apologists).

V

 

[benidict]

Yeah, I always wondered about that. During the part you quoted, I don’t think that anyone looking at Jesus would mistake him for John the Baptist (unless they were identical twins), so did some of these Jews hold some kind of belief in reincarnation or something along those lines? Or did they perhaps believe that people were resurrected in new, different looking bodies? It’s interesting.

V

hi v. yes some in the Jewish tradition do hold to reincarnation at least in a limited scope. the zoar has some fascinating things to say about it. if you get the book, God is a Verb by rabbi david cooper, he has some interesting insights. Peace