The Cairo Debate — Page 61
women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things. " (Lk. 23 48-49). . In John == "Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. " (Jn. 19:31). on. It is evident from John that the Jews demanded the 'breaking of legs because they thought up till the last moment, that Jesus had not expired. . Otherwise the demandis senseless. In the eleventh hour such a brutal and barbarous demand the part of the Jews explodes the myth of the earthquake, the springing open of graves, the rising of the dead, and the ripping of the temple curtain. In such circumstances the Jews would never have made such a savage demand. At least Pilate would have upbraided them that despite their having seen awe-inspiring miracles they still had the audacity to demand the breaking of Jesus' legs, and would have told them to fear God. John's statement concerning the Jews puts it squarely that Jesus had not died. In Luke people are reported to have turned home beating their breasts when they observed the tragedy of Jesus. These people along with women saw it all standing at a distance! At this juncture we this juncture we wish to ask one question assuming there was pitch darkness 61