Give one common historical argument used to support the Resurrection as a historical event.

• A. The empty tomb
• B. The rapid growth of early Christianity
• C. The post-resurrection appearances to multiple witnesses
• D. The discovery of manuscripts confirming the event

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that the empty tomb is a common historical datum used to argue that something extraordinary happened after Jesus’ death. The strength of this argument lies in its nature as a tangible, checkable fact rather than a later interpretation. In the early accounts, Jesus’ tomb is found empty, which raises a concrete question: what explains the missing body? If the body remained in the tomb, belief in resurrection would be hard to ground in history. The empty tomb, then, becomes a starting point for explaining the origin of the belief in Jesus’ rising, since it presents a puzzle that would be difficult to account for by memory or rumor alone.

Although other lines of evidence—like reports of appearances or the rapid growth of the Christian movement—play significant roles in discussions about the Resurrection, the empty tomb is often highlighted because it foregrounds a concrete, verifiable observation that would need some extraordinary explanation.