Race to the tomb

Two gospels, canon-Luke and John 1-20, detail how the ex-disciples reacted to the news that He Is Risen. (Matthew doesn't much care, and Mark cuts out; John 21 isn't in Jerusalem.) Foot race!

At least, so it is in John 20:2-3, where Peter races the Beloved Disciple. The BD gets there first, and bends over to see the linens. Peter following him enters the tomb, and inside he sees the headcloth and linens. The BD enters the tomb afterward and Believes. John being John: this is the last we'll see of Peter - Satan's dupe - until problematic chapter 21.

Luke 24:11 has the disciples all doubt the story; in keeping with a theme shared with John's Thomas and even with Matthew (Ignatius too). In canon v. 12, Peter expresses his doubt with a visit to the tomb. He doesn't walk; he runs. There "he", who cannot be anyone else, bends over to see the linens. But later, v. 24 notes in retrospect that "some of our companions" went to the tomb; not just one.

Luke's contradictions suggest that Peter did not go alone. Adding v. 12 there was a race, which someone won.

- but I do not know who won. Once Luke must leave Mark, for the Emmaus events he uses creeds and the gospel of the Syrians. These treat Peter fairly well, as far as we can take them. I am confident that the Syrian gospel let Rocky win. John's main source hated Peter. You've just read how that source tallied the score.

OVERHAUL 3/22-4/7/23 - and this assumes v. 12. Luke 24 in our text presents several pluses not in Bezae's "Western" text... which text omits v. 12. Tertullian, sexist, preferred the Western as a whole the Claromontanus side of the West. But also Marcion, feminist with a text the opposite of the Western, seems unaware of v. 12. (Although the verse does crop up in Old Syriac.)