The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central claim of Christianity. Historians — including many non-Christians — widely agree on several 'minimal facts' surrounding the event, even if they disagree on the explanation.
Fact 1: Jesus died by Roman crucifixion. This is attested by all four Gospels, by Paul, by Josephus, and by Tacitus. The 'swoon theory' has been rejected by virtually all modern scholars.
Fact 2: The tomb was found empty. The earliest Jewish response was not to deny the empty tomb but to claim the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:13). Women discovered the empty tomb — a detail no ancient author would invent.
Fact 3: Multiple individuals and groups reported seeing the risen Jesus. Paul provides a list in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, written approximately 3-5 years after the crucifixion, citing appearances to Peter, to the Twelve, to over 500 people at once, to James, and to Paul himself.
Fact 4: The disciples' lives were transformed. They fled in terror at the crucifixion, then within weeks were boldly proclaiming the resurrection in Jerusalem — willing to die for this claim.
Fact 5: James, the brother of Jesus, was converted. During Jesus' ministry he was a skeptic. After the resurrection he became the leader of the Jerusalem church and was martyred.
Fact 6: Paul, the persecutor of Christians, was converted. His conversion requires explanation.
Fact 7: The church emerged in Jerusalem, where anyone could have visited the tomb to disprove the claim.
Alternative hypotheses — hallucination, conspiracy, legend development, wrong tomb — each fail to account for all the evidence simultaneously.