Where did the people who rose from the dead after Christ’s crucifixion go after entering the holy city?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

The account of the saints rising from their graves is found in the Gospel of St. Matthew: "and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many" (Matthew 27:52-53).

According to Coptic Orthodox tradition and the teachings of the Church Fathers, here is what happened to them:

1. They Ascended with Christ

The prevailing theological understanding in the Coptic Church is that these saints were the "first fruits" of the Resurrection. When our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven forty days after His Resurrection, these saints ascended with Him.

In the Liturgy of St. Gregory the Theologian, we pray regarding Christ’s descent into Hades: "He descended into Hades through the cross... He rose from the dead on the third day... He ascended into the heavens and sat at the right hand of the Father." It is understood that when Christ "led captivity captive" (Ephesians 4:8), He did not just relocate the souls from Hades to Paradise, but He also took these physically resurrected saints as a testimony of the victory over death. They did not die again; they are with Him in glory.

2. A Testimony to the General Resurrection

St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. John Chrysostom explain that their resurrection was not like that of Lazarus, who was raised to a mortal life and eventually died again. Rather, they were raised to a glorified state to serve as physical proof to the people of Jerusalem that Christ had indeed conquered death.

If only Christ had risen, the skeptics and the Jews might have claimed it was a ghost or a hallucination. By raising "many bodies of the saints," Christ provided multiple witnesses that could be recognized by their descendants in the "holy city" (Jerusalem).

3. Where Did They Go in the City?

The Scripture says they "appeared to many." This suggests they went to their former homes or to the Temple to testify to their relatives and the Jewish leadership that the Messiah had truly come and that the power of the grave was broken.

4. Direct Refutation of Heretical Claims

Against the views of some heretics or those who downplay the miraculous, these were physical resurrections. They were not "ghosts." Just as Source 2 describes the women holding the feet of the risen Christ and worshipping Him, these saints were tangible proof of the new life.

Once their mission of testifying to the Resurrection in Jerusalem was complete, they were gathered by the Lord. As the Coptic tradition maintains, they represent the Church of the Old Testament finally united with the New, accompanying the King of Glory into the heavens during His Ascension.