The Cairo Debate — Page 67
laid. . . they laid Jesus there. " (Jn. 19: 41-42). ". . . and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. " (Lk. 23: 53). ". . . and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock ;. . . . . . " (Mk. 15 46). "And Joseph took the body. . . and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. . . . . . " (Mt. 27: 59-60). . The first three witnesses do not say under whose behest the grave was dug. Luke eludes as if the grave had been there for long. Thanks to. Matthew who describes in clear terms that it was. Joseph Arimathe'a who had had it dug, the foregoing passages are pregnant with the following facts: 1. . The garden where the grave was situated was in the immediate neighbourhood of the place of crucifixion. 2. It was hewn in a rock i. e. it was spacious. 3. It was not occupied by anyone previously. . Thus the air was not polluted. 4. It was freshly dug. 5. . Joseph Arimathe'a had it hewn out purposefully. . Add to these five points the fact that. Nicode'mus who had joined hands with Joseph. Arimathe'a in this adventure, had called on Jesus on the night before the crucifixion (Jn. 19: 39), and keeping in view that the whole strategy was also known to Jesus, the matter is made clear as daylight. If anyone reflects with due care he 67