Is there any evidence to support Matthew's gospel account of the curtain in the Jerusalem Temple being torn in two?
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>From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land... And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split" (Matthew 27:45, 50-51).
As a Christian of the Protestant persuasion, I do not doubt the truth of these words. But how do I respond to detractors who claim there is no evidence of the curtain in the temple being torn in two?
I am interested in evidence from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant sources.
Edit: Five years after asking this question, I found this information:
>"The persistent 33 A.D. seismite indicates the biggest 33 A.D. earthquake was M~6.0. This biggest earthquake was likely April 3, 33 A.D. that startled city residents and caused moderate damage, especially to the western side of Temple Mount. Pivots of two, 20-m-high, metal doors of the Temple appear to have been damaged, and the 20-m-high curtain in front of the doors was torn, likely by displacement of the lintel of the Temple during the earthquake."
https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2012AM/webprogram/Paper204688.html#:~:text=The%20persistent%2033%20A.D.%20seismite,western%20side%20of%20Temple%20Mount
Asked by Lesley
(34714 rep)
Apr 19, 2019, 03:03 PM
Last activity: Apr 2, 2024, 10:52 AM
Last activity: Apr 2, 2024, 10:52 AM