That Jesus’ earliest followers, soon after his death, became convinced that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them, is, like the crucifixion, as historical as anything can ever be. In this chapter I want to focus on this unparalleled, innovative claim of the earliest Nazarenes: this crucified man Jesus rose from the dead. Where did they get this idea of their crucified leader rising from the dead? (We are, of course, for now assuming Jesus remained dead and did not appear to them.) Many Jews