Resurrection on the Day of the Omer? Interpreting 1 Corinthians 15:20 in the light of Leviticus 23:9–15 and Menaḥot 10:2–3

Abstract

In 1 Corinthians 15:20 and 23, Paul calls Jesus “the first fruits of those who are asleep.” According to John, Jesus died on the Eve of Passover and was resurrected on the third day, which was the day of the Omer ritual, the ritual of the first fruits. There have been many attempts to prove that Paul alludes intentionally to the first fruit implicitly, remembering the chronology of Jesus’s last days. After a brief survey of the main questions and arguments in favour of the thesis, based on a passage in the Mishnah, this article attempts to draw attention to some new observations which could further strengthen this reading. Beyond the date, there are at least three additional motifs of the Omer ritual attested in the Mishnah which correspond to Pauline Christology: the beginning of the ritual at Passover Eve, the significance of the night during the ritual, and the importance of the ritual signalling a new season.