The apparent resurrection of Jesus is verisimilar

22 March 2022, Version 1
This content is an early or alternative research output and has not been peer-reviewed by Cambridge University Press at the time of posting.

Abstract

The vital medical aspects of crucifixion are known to be similar to some medical aspects of drowning. And some people have been able to survive being underwater, without breathing, for tens of minutes (e.g. Bolte et al., Journal of the American Medical Association, 1988). We argue that some of the physiological mechanisms that enabled those people to survive could also account for Jesus being able to survive his crucifixion. Those mechanisms are known to be activated by certain conditions—and the conditions are demonstrated to be described in the biblical story. Thus, the apparent resurrection of Jesus has a reasonable naturalistic explanation.

Keywords

asphyxiation
crucifixion
Jesus Christ
diving response

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