we may say that the accounts of His miraculous appearance are
legends; or we may say that His reappearance was not miraculous
at all, for He had never died, but only swooned.

As Huxley remarked, when we are asked to consider an alleged case
of resurrection, the first essential fact to make sure of is the
fact of death. Before we argue as to whether a dead man came to
life, let us have evidence that he _was_ dead.

Considering the story of the crucifixion as historical, it cannot
be said that the evidence of Christ's death is conclusive.

Death by crucifixion was generally a slow death. Men often lingered
on the cross for days before they died. Now, Christ was only on the
cross for a few hours; and Pilate is reported as expressing surprise
when told that he was dead.

To make sure that the other prisoners were dead, the soldiers broke
their legs. But they did not break Christ's legs.

To be sure, the Apostle John reports that a soldier pierced Christ's
side with a spear. But the authors of the three synoptic Gospels
do not mention this wounding with the spear. Neither do they
allude to the other story told by John, as to the scepticism
of Thomas, and his putting his hand into the wound made by the
spear. It is curious that John is the only one to tell both stories:
so curious that both stories look like interpellations.

But even if we accept the story of the spear thrust, it affords no
proof of death, for John adds that there issued from the wound blood