If Jesus died, his brother James would have mentioned it
James was Jesus’ younger brother and it is kind of odd to note that he said nothing about the death in his family and yet, this was supposed to be one of the fundamental pillars of Christianity, of which he was one of the earliest leaders [after Jesus].
No mention in other places
The minor writers of the New Testament, James and Jude do not mention a resurrection, and in the epistle of John it is not explicit.
Christian response: Argument from silence
We cannot say that something did not happen if it is not mentioned. Even if it is mentioned, Muslims can still reject it. The death of Jesus was mentioned throughout the four gospels, yet Muslims reject it.
Furthermore, James’ leaving out of the event of Jesus’ death is also not surprising since the general content of the letter is a call to holiness of life.
Mark’s gospel account of Jesus’ resurrection was a later insertion
Marks gospel, in its original version, ENDED at Chapter 16, verse 8, with the women running away from the empty tomb. IT CONTAINED NO APPEARANCE OF JESUS; THESE WERE ADDED IN A LATER APPENDIX.
Christian response
It is true that the most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.
But there are many other accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in the gospels that can substantiate the fact.
Historical evidence deny death/resurrection
Source?
But the inferior powers have become so corrupt that the unbegotten
Father has sent his only Son–the Nous, also called the Christ–to liberate, from the domination of those powers, all who believe in him. It is by means of SECRET NAMES, PASSWORDS, etc., that the elect will be able to RE-ASCEND through the lower heavens, eluding their archons. Upon earth, the Christ who was manifested had nothing of man EXCEPT the APPEARANCE : indeed, IT WAS NOT HE WHO SUFFERED IN THE PASSION : SIMON OF CYRENE, after having made to bear the Cross, WAS METAMORPHIZED by the Saviour, SO THAT THE JEWS TOOK HIM FOR JESUS AND NAILED HIM TO THE WOOD INSTEAD; whilst Jesus, who meanwhile had taken the appearance of Simon, remained close to Calvary and, before re-ascending to heaven, derided his enemies for their vain mistake!
Manichaeism
This same notion of a CRUCIFIXION that was FICTIVE and a MISCARRIAGE appears AGAIN in Manichaeism, where, according to the testimony of Evodius (De Fide 28), an Epistle of the Foundation taught that the ENEMY, WHO was hoping to have the Saviour crucified, himself fell victim to that crucifixion! The Prince of Darkness WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS : it was even he who, before that was tortured by the CROWN OF THORNS and arrayed for derision in PURPLE ROBE.*
APOCRYPHAL ACTS OF JOHN
This theme of crucifixion that FAILED OCCURS AGAIN IN THE APOCRYPHAL ACTS OF JOHN, S 98 (vision of the cross of light).
Gospel of Philip
In the newly discovered gospel of Philip is a passage that CAN BE
SEEN TO DENY IT: “Those who say that the lord died first and then rose up are in error, FOR HE ROSE UP FIRST AND THEN DIED.
Some of the other newly discovered Gnostics books reflect the WELL KNOWN DOCETIC TRADITION THAT JESUS DID NOT REALLY DIE ON THE CROSS, but another died in his place.
[Jesus & The Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls, by Barbara Thiering, 1992 – pp. 116,117].
Middle Ages art
It is strikingly illustrated, in the Middle Ages, by the illuminated designs in certain Ethiopian evangelistaries. See J. Doresse, L’Empire du Pretre-Jean, II : L’Ethiopic medieval, Paris, 1957, pp. 154-60].
Jesus did not die on a tree
1 peter 2.24
did Jesus die on a tree?
Zylon can be used for something made by wood.
No basis for Muslim denial of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection
Quranic account about Jesus not based on eyewitness testimony.
Muslims say that the New Testament accounts about Jesus cannot be trusted because they were not based on eyewitnesses testimony. We have just shown evidence that they were based on eyewitness testimonies. But even if they are not, they are at least written much closer to Jesus’ time than the Quran. If the New Testament accounts are to be rejected because they are not written based on eyewitness testimony, then even more so Muhamamd’s statement about Jesus not having died on the cross. Muhammad denied that Jesus rose from the dead even though he was born 500 years after Jesus’ death.