>>17889994
Actually its the non-Christians who absolutely confirm that there was a tomb and it was empty.
The ancient critics of Christianity were accusing the disciples of stealing the body – which, obviously, they wouldn’t be doing if it were still in its tomb.
That’s reported in several ancient sources, such as a record of a debate between a Christian and a Jew called Dialogue With Trypho, and can be found here:
http://www.bombaxo.com/trypho.html), in chapter 108: “…as I said before you have sent chosen and ordained men throughout all the world to proclaim that a godless and lawless heresy had sprung from one Jesus, a Galilaean deceiver, whom we crucified, but his disciples stole him by night from the tomb, where he was laid when unfastened from the cross…”
And in De Spectaculis 30 (which can be read here:
http://www.tertullian.org/anf/anf03/anf03-09.htm#P890_350630), Tertullian said that upon Christ’s return to judge the world, he would mock Christianity’s critics by turning the arguments they were using against them: "’This’, I shall say,’’this is…He whom His disciples secretly stole away, that it might be said He had risen again, or the gardener abstracted, that his lettuces might come to no harm from the crowds of visitants!’”
Obviously, the critics wouldn’t be claiming the body had been stolen if there were no tomb at all or the tomb were still occupied. It’s like a kid telling his teacher the dog ate his homework: if he had it to hand in or if there was no homework assigned at all, he wouldn’t need an excuse!
