Jesus and the “Swoon” Theory

Last updated on: June 16, 2020 at 8:47 pm by Dan Peterson

Jesus and the “Swoon” Theory 2020-06-16T20:47:08-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Piero della Francesca, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ” (ca. 1464)
Wikimedia Commons public domain image

One suggestion that has been offered to explain the claim of Christ’s resurrection — this was actually a popular theory among nineteenth-century skeptics and still has advocates today — holds that, although grievously wounded upon the cross, Jesus didn’t actually die. Instead, he swooned. People thought he was dead, though, and he was taken and buried. However, the spices and aromatic oils awakened him after he had been left in the tomb. So he revived.

Now, this strikes me as implausible, for one thing, because Roman soldiers were apparently quite experienced at crucifixions. They were good at it, and they took pride in their work. Moreover, according to the New Testament, the injuries that Jesus sustained in connection with his “failed” execution were extremely serious — first of all, scourging that may well have laid open his back all the way to the spine, large spikes or nails driven through his hands and his feet, a very serious crown of thorns crushed down onto his head, and a spear thrust into his side. (Of course, if we choose to ignore the New Testament accounts, the sky’s the limit. Maybe he was simply tickled by playful Roman legionaries and then set free!)

Crucifixion didn’t typically kill through loss of blood. Victims of crucifixion suffocated as they tried to lift themselves in order to breathe, putting their weight on the spikes through their feet or ankles, scraping their scourged and bloody backs upon the upright beam of the cross.

But let’s pretend that, somehow, Jesus survived all of that, and now, stimulated by the aromatic herbs that were used to prepare his body for burial during the late afternoon or early evening of Friday, he has awakened inside the tomb.

He’s tightly wrapped in burial linens. He has painful gashes on his head and deep, major, piercing wounds in his hands and/or his wrists, his feet or his ankles, and his side. He has lost a very great deal of blood. But he manages somehow to unwrap himself, and to get up from the slab on which his body had been placed. He folds the burial clothes very neatly.

Now he rolls away the stone that is at the opening of the tomb and overcomes the guard stationed outside. He staggers into Jerusalem on his grievously wounded feet, entering unseen and pausing every few seconds to lean against the walls of the densely packed Old City. He arrives at the so-called “upper room” sometime fairly late on Sunday morning.

When the apostles see him, they immediately conclude that he has risen gloriously from the dead and exclaim “Hallelujah!” They resolve to dedicate their lives to him, even at the risk of martyrdom.

(Somewhere during this time, he also hobbles along on the road to Emmaus, about twelve kilometers from Jerusalem, with two disciples who never seem to have noticed his gravely crippled condition.)

I dunno. Somehow it just doesn’t ring true to me.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

June 16, 2020

What Arabs really think

Next Post

June 17, 2020 Islam and the West(s)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which prophet's call included a vision of an almond branch and boiling pot?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Daniel Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel