Matthew 27:52-53 as a Scribal Interpolation: Testing a Recent Proposal

In his recent commentary on Matthew, C. A. Evans suggested that Matt 27:52-53 is an early scribal interpolation. Although no extant manuscripts omit these verses, Evans argued thatthe absence of references to these verses in Christian literature prior to the Council of Nicaea supports this conjectural emendation. Although several German and Dutch scholars ofthe 18th and 19th centuries also proposed this emendation, most appealed primarily to historical and theological evidence. A thorough text-critical analysis has not previously beenpublished. This essay explores the internal and external evidence and concludes that these verses belong to the earliest text of Matthew that can be established from currentlyavailable evidence.