After Jesus died on the cross, his body was taken down by Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple of Jesus. Joseph wrapped the body in a new linen cloth and placed it in his own tomb, which was hewn out of solid rock. Then a large stone was rolled across the entrance of the tomb, and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sat nearby facing the tomb
. According to Jewish burial customs of the time, the body would have been anointed with spices and wrapped in cloth before being placed in the tomb. If a crucifixion victim's body was unclaimed, it would typically be thrown into a common burial pit, but because Joseph claimed Jesus' body, it was given a proper burial
. On the third day after Jesus' death, the tomb was found empty. The Gospels describe that Jesus was resurrected, appearing to Mary Magdalene, the apostles, and many others in a tangible, physical form. He invited them to touch his body to prove he was not a ghost but had a glorified, resurrected body
. There are various theories and debates about what happened to Jesus' body after his death:
- The traditional Christian belief is that Jesus was physically resurrected, and his body was transformed into a glorified, immortal spiritual body
- The "stolen body hypothesis" suggests that Jesus' body was stolen from the tomb by his disciples or others to fake a resurrection, but this is generally discussed as a refuted theory in the Gospels, particularly in Matthew
- Some scholars propose that Jesus' body might have been moved or lost over time, but these ideas are speculative and not supported by early Christian testimony
In summary, Jesus' body was buried in a rock-cut tomb by Joseph of Arimathea, and according to Christian belief, it was resurrected on the third day, leaving the tomb empty
