Biblical Studies • Historical & Exegetical
Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?
A Historical and Exegetical Examination of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
David V. Lott, Ph.D.
Coming January 2027
The resurrection of Jesus Christ stands at the center of the Christian faith, but the claim made by the earliest Christians was not merely that the teachings of Jesus continued after His death. They proclaimed that the man who had been crucified under Pontius Pilate had been raised bodily from the dead and had appeared to His followers. That claim transformed frightened disciples into public witnesses and became the foundation upon which the Christian proclamation was built.
Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? examines that claim through both historical investigation and careful biblical exegesis. Rather than beginning with the conclusion and simply assembling arguments in its defense, the study asks what can reasonably be established from the evidence, how the earliest resurrection traditions developed, what the relevant texts actually claim, and how well the principal alternative explanations account for the historical data.
The result is a sustained examination of the case for the Resurrection that takes both Scripture and historical inquiry seriously. The central question is straightforward, even if its implications are enormous: What best explains what happened after Jesus of Nazareth was crucified?
The Question at the Center of the Book
Christianity did not begin merely because the followers of Jesus continued to admire their teacher after His death. The earliest Christian proclamation centered upon something much more specific: God had raised Jesus from the dead.
That assertion invites historical examination. Jesus was publicly executed. His followers subsequently became convinced that He was alive. Resurrection proclamation emerged extraordinarily early within the Christian movement, and individuals who had not previously followed Jesus—including Paul and James—became important witnesses to the risen Christ.
The historical question, therefore, is not simply whether resurrection is possible. The more immediate question is what explanation best accounts for the evidence that must itself be explained.
What This Study Examines
The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
Establishing the historical event from which the resurrection claim necessarily begins.
The Empty Tomb
Examining the traditions surrounding the burial of Jesus and the discovery of the empty tomb.
The Earliest Resurrection Testimony
Considering the importance and antiquity of the tradition preserved in 1 Corinthians 15.
The Appearances of Jesus
Examining the claims that individuals and groups encountered Jesus alive following His death.
Paul and James
Considering two particularly significant witnesses whose belief requires explanation.
Alternative Explanations
Evaluating naturalistic and historical proposals offered to account for the resurrection traditions.
The Cumulative Historical Case
Asking which explanation best accounts for the evidence when the individual strands are considered together.
A Historical and Exegetical Approach
This volume is intentionally more detailed than a general introduction to the Resurrection. Biblical texts are examined within their literary and historical settings, important historical questions are considered directly, and competing explanations are evaluated rather than merely dismissed.
At the same time, historical investigation and biblical exegesis are not treated as competing disciplines. The New Testament documents are themselves ancient historical sources that must be read carefully, with attention to what their authors actually claimed and to the world in which those claims were first made.
The objective is neither skepticism disguised as neutrality nor faith insulated from examination. It is to allow the evidence to receive a serious hearing.
Prefer to Begin with the Teaching Study?
Readers who would like to explore the subject in a shorter teaching format can begin with the six-part Teaching Library study, The Evidence for the Resurrection. The teaching series introduces many of the central historical questions in a format designed for individual study, Sunday school, or group discussion.
Explore the Teaching Study→Coming January 2027
Publication information and purchase links will be added when the book is released.
David V. Lott, Ph.D.
Author • Biblical Scholar • Teacher
"My goal is simple: to take serious biblical study and make it understandable without making it shallow."