ours; and the time
spent on the cross cannot have been much longer, because Joseph of
Arimathaea must have gone to Pilate, made his preparations, and deposited
the body in the rock-cut tomb before sunset, which, at that time of the
year, was about the twelfth hour. That any one should die after only six
hours' crucifixion could not have been at all in accordance with
Pilate's large experience of the effects of that method of punishment.
It, therefore, quite agrees with what might be expected, that Pilate
"marvelled if he were already dead" and required to be satisfied on this
point by the testimony of the Roman officer who was in command of the
execution party. Those who have paid attention to the extraordinarily
difficult question, What are the indisputable signs of death?--will be
able to estimate the value of the opinion of a rough soldier on such a
subject, even if his report to the Procurator were in no wise affected
by the fact that the friend of Jesus, who anxiously awaited his answer,
was a man of influence and of wealth.

The inanimate body, wrapped in linen, was deposited in a spacious,[44]
cool rock chamber, the entrance of which was closed, not by a
well-fitting door, but by a stone rolled against the opening, which
would of course allow free passage of air. A little more than thirty-six
hours afterwards (Friday, 6 P.M., to Sunday, 6 A.M., or a little after)
three women visit the tomb and find it empty. And they are told by a
young man "arrayed in a white robe" that Jesus is gone to his native
country of Galilee, and that the disciples and Peter will find him
there.

Thus it stands, plainly recorded, in the oldest tradition that, for any
evidence to the contrary, the sepulchre may have been emptied at any
time during the Friday or Saturday nights. If it is said that no Jew
would have violated the Sabbath by taking the former course, it is to be
recollected that Joseph of Arimathaea might well be familiar with that
wise and liberal interpretation of the fourth commandment, which
permitted works of mercy to men--nay, even the drawing of an ox or an
ass out of a pit--on the Sabbath. At any rate, the Saturday night was
free to the most scrupulous of observers of the Law.

These are the facts of the case as stated by the oldest extant narrative
of them. I do not see why any one should have a word to say against the
inherent probability of that narrative; and, for my part, I am quite
ready to accept it as an hi