The earliest report

Count the witnesses.

Around AD 55, Paul wrote down a list of people who saw Jesus alive. He says he had “received” it earlier, and many scholars date it to the first few years after the cross. Paul knew Peter (“Cephas” in Aramaic) and James personally, and most of these people could still be asked:

1 Corinthians 15:5–6The Bible (NIV)

…and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

Tap each group to count them:

0eyewitnesses

A tall, brown papyrus page covered in neat lines of Greek capital letters. — A page of 1 Corinthians (2:11–3:5) from Papyrus 46, the oldest surviving collection of Paul's letters, usually dated around AD 200. The same letter holds Paul's list of witnesses. University of Michigan.Photo: University of Michigan · Public domain

Check it yourself:1 Corinthians 15:3–8 Galatians 1:18–19

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