Is the only time the tomb was opened to see if a body was in there, in the bible?

[Pauliesonne]

or did they actually try to look for it in real life?

[Marquis de Carabas]

I've opened many a tomb to see if... nevermind.

[wastepanel]

or did they actually try to look for it in real life?

The tomb was not opened to find a body. Mary went there to pay homage, and found the tomb opened. It would be like going to visit your great-great-great-grandmother's grave to find a hole in the ground.

EDIT: I chose great-great-great grandmother in an attempt not to use an example of someone that could be living.

[hgc]

Yes.

And the only time Jesus walked on water was in the bible.

And the only time Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead was in the bible.

And the only time Jesus threw out the money changers from the Temple was in the bible.

And the only time Jesus parted the Red Sea was in the bible ... oops, that might have been someone else.

But you get the idea, the only time anything having to do with Jesus happened was in the bible (except the apocrypha and other missing texts like one recently coming to light in which we get the only time Jesus clued in Judas as to where he could pick up a quick 30 pieces of silver).

[zakur]

Mary went there to pay homage, and found the tomb opened. It would be like going to visit your great-great-great-grandmother's grave to find a hole in the ground.
That depends on which gospel. In Matthew, Mary saw an angel roll away the stone. So in your analogy, the Matthew account would be like going to visit your great-great-great-grandmother's grave and then watching an alien excavate the casket.

And technically, the tomb was not "empty" in Mark and Luke. In those two stories the tomb contained either "a young man in a white robe" (Mark 16:5-7) or "two men in shining white clothes" (Luke 24:4-7).

[LW]

Yes.

No. Absolutely no. People have been opening tombs and graves all over places to see what's inside for a long time. That's what archealogy is about ...

Even if you stated the question as: "have there been any other case where people have examined a tomb/grave to see whether the inhabitant has left it on his/her own initiative", the answer would still be no. Because there is a long and well-documented history of vampire hunting: incidents where individual graves or whole graveyards are dug out in an effort to identify who is the vampire that is terrorising the area. Funny thing is, they usually found at least one corpse that they could identify as a vampire ...

[alfaniner]

No.

[psy kick]

From what I was taught, the soldiers were to guard it with their lives. So since it was open and no body, were they killed? Ordered to claim they fell asleep and others came and took the body? Did they take the rap?

[Pauliesonne]

No. Absolutely no. People have been opening tombs and graves all over places to see what's inside for a long time. That's what archealogy is about ...

Even if you stated the question as: "have there been any other case where people have examined a tomb/grave to see whether the inhabitant has left it on his/her own initiative", the answer would still be no. Because there is a long and well-documented history of vampire hunting: incidents where individual graves or whole graveyards are dug out in an effort to identify who is the vampire that is terrorising the area. Funny thing is, they usually found at least one corpse that they could identify as a vampire ...

Yeah, but did they ever look for the one " Jesus " was supposedly left in and if they did, did they find anything?

[slingblade]

AFAIK, the supposed tomb of Christ has long been known and examined.
I was taught that the tomb actually belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, who gave it to Christ's mother so she could bury her son.

As to whether the tomb that's claimed to be Christ's is actually where he was buried...well, that supposes Christ actually lived to be buried anywhere.

Have you Googled "christ's tomb," by any chance? Or Church of the Holy Sepulcher?

[Beerina]

The tomb was not opened to find a body. Mary went there to pay homage, and found the tomb opened. It would be like going to visit your great-great-great-grandmother's grave to find a hole in the ground.

EDIT: I chose great-great-great grandmother in an attempt not to use an example of someone that could be living.

My cousin was a grandfather at age 35.

I happened to see a woman who passed away in the news a few days ago, age 99, with 45 great grandchildren and 12 great-greats. But 0 great-great-greats.

Still, 5 generations of loose women popping out kids at age 18 or younger could string together such a thing if the first lived to around 100.

And Guiness also listed the youngest mother as age 4 (!), so I suppose a concerted effort of Axis of Evil could crank out far larger numbers of greats, all living. And we wouldn't even get into harvesting eggs from unborn fetuses, combining in in-vitro fertilization, then implantinting in host mothers. That, combined with extensive longevity, could get in excess of 120 greats, at least of the "biological mother" strain. A new mother every 6 months, say, could get 2 births per year, each one being the earlier one's "mother", and if the oldest lived to 120, you could get 238 greats, with 6 month old grandmother and newborn mother, and newly fertilized egg freshly implanted.

[Beerina]

Yeah, but did they ever look for the one " Jesus " was supposedly left in and if they did, did they find anything?

How would you distinguish it from myriad other caves and burial mounds in the area? Some magical cloth still in there? A burning bush outside?

Let's suppose Jesus existed, was exactly as the Bible said, and God came down and told you "This right here is the cave Jesus was buried in." How would you be able to verify that?

[Lothian]

or did they actually try to look for it in real life?Burke & Hare opened a few.

[Skeptical Greg]

From what I was taught, the soldiers were to guard it with their lives.

Who taught you that ?

Sounds like another made up story .. ( another one, besides what's in the Bible )

[shemp]

My cousin was a grandfather at age 35.

I happened to see a woman who passed away in the news a few days ago, age 99, with 45 great grandchildren and 12 great-greats. But 0 great-great-greats.

Still, 5 generations of loose women popping out kids at age 18 or younger could string together such a thing if the first lived to around 100.

And Guiness also listed the youngest mother as age 4 (!), so I suppose a concerted effort of Axis of Evil could crank out far larger numbers of greats, all living. And we wouldn't even get into harvesting eggs from unborn fetuses, combining in in-vitro fertilization, then implantinting in host mothers. That, combined with extensive longevity, could get in excess of 120 greats, at least of the "biological mother" strain. A new mother every 6 months, say, could get 2 births per year, each one being the earlier one's "mother", and if the oldest lived to 120, you could get 238 greats, with 6 month old grandmother and newborn mother, and newly fertilized egg freshly implanted.

This was done already on The Man Show.

[This Guy]

From what I was taught, the soldiers were to guard it with their lives. So since it was open and no body, were they killed? Ordered to claim they fell asleep and others came and took the body? Did they take the rap?

From Matthew 28 (Kings James ver.)
11Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
14And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

I believe the common explanation for verse 14 is that the chief priest were saying, if the Gov. hears what happened, we're gonna get him to let us (or someone) kill you. In any event, they were paid to say the disciples carried the body away.

Of course, sleeping on watch was punishable by death. It's hard to believe a Roman soldier would take money, and say they slept on watch. But then the whole book is somewhat hard to believe, so it fits well I guess ;-)