Ten Easter Myths
Most leading historians, archaeologists and linguists don’t believe that the four official Christian Gospels can be relied upon as accurate records of historical fact. The Christmas stories, for instance, are known to be complete fabrications based on stories passed down from other traditions, edited to make them appear consistent with ancient Hebrew prophecies. The Easter stories too are highly dubious as factual accounts.
Easter is unquestionably the most important day of the Christian calendar. On Easter Day Christians believe their saviour Yeshua came back to life and was seen in corporeal form for several weeks before ascending on a cloud to ‘heaven’. This is the very basis of their religion.
They believe it because the gospels say it happened, or so they think. But most Christians aren’t aware of the inconsistencies in the scriptures. The Gospels are riddled with factual errors, contradictions and unsupported statements that challenge the very basis of the religion.
This series presents ten myths about the Easter stories drawing on Gospel sources and historical records.
Myth #3: The gospels accurately recorded Yeshua’s last words
It was normal for victims of crucifixion to suffer for many hours in the heat of the day, then slip into a coma before being pronounced dead. Usually it took over twenty-four hours but the gospels say Yeshua died relatively quickly. But what were his last words?
- According to ‘Matthew’ he let out a cry, ‘My G_d, my G_d, why have you forsaken me?’[1] – hardly the cry of a man who had participated willingly in his fate.
- In ‘Luke’, he cried more nobly, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’[2]
- In ‘Mark’, he merely breathed his last.[3] ‘Mark’ claimed that Pilate was surprised that Yeshua died so soon.[4]
- In ‘John’ he said nothing profound, but took the opportunity to ask ‘the disciple who he loved’[5] to take care of his mother.
Interestingly members of the public were not allowed to get close to the crucifixion scene. Only the Roman guards would have heard words spoken by the condemned – certainly not the gospel authors!
©David Lawrence Preston, 10.2.2017
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @David_L_Preston
Balboa Press, 2015
[1] Matthew 27:46. This is a quote from Psalms 22.1.
[2] Luke 23, 46
[3] Mark 15:37
[4] Mark 15:44
[5] There are several references to ‘the disciple who Yeshua loved’ in the Fourth Gospel. Those who think it was the author himself are mistaken because the gospel was written many decades after the events they purport to describe. It is clearly a fabrication.
Leave a Reply