“Miracles Questioned”

On July 22, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired one of the chapters of the “Miracles Questioned” TV series with the title “Jesus’ remains thrown as dogs’ food”. One of the readers of the National Post in Toronto, John Tors, made a statement on that paper on July 25 objecting the ridiculous content of the series. He has made good reference as follows:

(1) While crucifixion victims may have been thrown to the dogs in other parts of the Roman Empire, the 1st century AD historian Josephus tells us this was not the case among the Jews: “The Jews used to take so much care of the burial of men, that they took down those that were condemned and crucified, and buried them before the going down of the sun.” (Wars of the Jews, 4.5.2)

(2) The remains of a crucified man, nail still in the heel bone, were found in an ossuary (burial box) in Jerusalem in 1968, confirming that crucifixion victims were buried.

(3) The eyewitness testimonies in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us that Jesus was buried in a tomb after his crucifixion, and not thrown to dogs. Eyewitness testimony trumps liberal speculation from 20 centuries later.

(4) The local population would have known if crucifixion victims were thrown to dogs, and, if that were the case, would have laughed to scorn any claim of Jesus’ resurrection. Christianity would therefore never have gotten started. Yet here it is today.

(National Post, Tuesday, July 25, 2006 p. A17)