Soldiers’ Report
“We slept through it all”
After the angel rolls back the stone and the women encounter the empty tomb, some of the guards report to the chief priests. The religious leaders bribe the soldiers and instruct them to tell a story: that the disciples came at night and stole Jesus’ body while the guards were asleep. The guards accept the bribe and spread the fabricated account among the Jews, and that false story continues to circulate.
(ai summarized)
“While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”