The twin hypothesis proposes that the Resurrection appearances of Jesus were not the result of His physical Resurrection, but rather the presence of a doppelganger or a twin who could have impersonated Him after His death or died in His place on the cross. This theory was endorsed by some Gnostics in the first to the third century, as well as some modern Mandaeans, Muslims, and a few skeptics ([Robin Schumacher](https://paperpile.com/app/p/42b314aa-4c5e-0b3b-8d29-011716de3870 'Jesus’ twin brother and the truth about Easter')). Some people who dispute the Resurrection story argue that miracles are impossible or that Jesus rising from the dead is too unlikely to have happened. They believe that any other explanation would be better than accepting that a miracle occurred. [Robert Greg Cavin](https://paperpile.com/app/p/f89f6649-beb0-05b3-86b8-2278fe7ab0de 'Miracles, probability, and the resurrection of Jesus: A philosophical, mathematical, and historical study'), in his work **"Miracles, probability, and the resurrection of Jesus: A philosophical, mathematical, and historical study,"** suggests that for every aspect of the twin theory that seems implausible, there is a corresponding element of the supernatural act of God raising Jesus from the dead that is even more improbable ([Robin Schumacher](https://paperpile.com/app/p/2ff8a0d7-43bb-0c43-b931-352e710f24cf 'Jesus twin brother and the truth about Easter')). ### Problems With The Twin Theory ##### There Is No Evidence Of A Twin In His Family No reliable historical evidence exists of Jesus having a twin brother, as the birth accounts in Matthew and Luke describe the birth of only one child ( [Matthew 1](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.1)-2, [Luke 2](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/LUK.2)). Religious leaders did not seek out a twin to explain Jesus' appearance, and scripture indicates that Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him before His resurrection ([John 7:5](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/JHN.7.5)). Jesus had several siblings, including James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, as well as sisters, although their names are not mentioned in the Bible ([Matthew 13:55-56](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.13.55-56), [Mark 6:3](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MRK.6.3)). The Gospels also mention other relatives, including Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who was a cousin of Jesus. After His Resurrection, his brothers James and Jude became leaders in the early Christian church, not his twins. It is very unlikely that the appearance of a twin would have been the cause of any resurrection theory. ##### The Body Of Jesus The body of Jesus went missing, it was not stolen or lost (See [The Stolen Body Theory](https://walkbysight.com/dl/Dashboard/s/9042f2/r/7BjpoqwST9eNH5sFjv.l-g/s/5f4765/r/Pu2LaGJtQ5G0PW7oI1p9qg), [The Wrong Tomb Theory](https://walkbysight.com/dl/Dashboard/s/9042f2/r/7BjpoqwST9eNH5sFjv.l-g/s/5f4765/r/FL7LFU7.Qx2zNX57x1uK3A)) and the one that appeared to the disciples shared that same scars of the one that was killed ([John 20:24](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/JHN.20.24), [The Swoon Theory](https://walkbysight.com/dl/Dashboard/s/9042f2/r/7BjpoqwST9eNH5sFjv.l-g/s/5f4765/r/ikLY4Jv3SvuuMXTFqd-ccw). ##### Jesus Performed Miracles After He Died The post-Resurrection version of Jesus was just as supernatural and divine as the pre-Resurrection Jesus; He repeated miracles like catching fish, teleporting, and walking through walls. For this reason, the impostor theory is just another unreasonable alternative ([J. Warner Wallace](https://paperpile.com/app/p/7513b739-5167-04cb-933f-0314eaae5dc4 'The Post Resurrection Behavior of Jesus Eliminates the Possibility of an Imposter')). #### Thomas Was His Twin? There are Christian and Gnostic traditions that are derived from various works, such as [The Book of Thomas [the Contender]](https://paperpile.com/app/p/39ee9c8a-5b3e-01f3-adb9-d423a8dc8da9 'The Book of Thomas the Contender from Codex II of the Cairo Gnostic Library from Nag Hammadi (CG II, 7)')) where Thomas The Apostle is held to be the twin and substitute for Jesus on the Cross. Thomas The Apostle is also known as Didymus" ([John 11:16](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/JHN.11.16)), and Didymus is the Greek word for "twin." [David Noel Freedman](https://paperpile.com/app/p/720d3a3f-16cf-0821-a8d4-88b1e54f5098 'The Anchor Bible Dictionary'), in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, cites Jesus as saying to Thomas the Apostle, "It has been said that you are my twin and true companion". Scholars disagree on whether Judas Thomas is Thomas the Apostle, Jude the Apostle, and/or Jude, brother of Jesus ([Pheme Perkins, John Douglas Turner](https://paperpile.com/app/p/17a043e2-bf11-0439-ac3e-de5538a9ad31 'The book of Thomas the contender from codex II of the Cairo Gnostic library from nag Hammadi (CG II, 7): The Coptic text with translation, introduction and commentary')). Furthermore, the Acts of Thomas ([Harlod W. Attridge](https://paperpile.com/app/p/14890a77-b259-0823-ae73-5b137430acef 'The Acts of Thomas (Early Christian Apocrypha)')), a third-century text, contains an episode in which the risen Jesus appears in the likeness of Thomas the Apostle and is mistakenly identified as Thomas by a king. In his 1995 travel narrative, Journey of the Magi: In Search of the Birth of Jesus, [Paul William Roberts](https://paperpile.com/app/p/e1b244d6-44a3-0aa4-9797-50e4da19d4b3 'The Journey of the Magi: In Search of the Birth of Jesus') reports that some present-day Mandaeans hold the belief that Thomas the Apostle was the twin brother of Jesus and was crucified in Jesus' place. However, none of these early texts directly suggest a substitution hypothesis regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Twin Theory suggests that post-crucifixion appearances of Jesus were due to a doppelganger or twin, a notion supported only later in history by certain Gnostic, Mandaean, Muslim, and skeptic groups, challenging the traditional Christian narrative of the Resurrection. This hypothesis, however, faces significant problems: there is no historical evidence of Jesus having a twin, and scriptural accounts from Matthew, Luke, and John detail Jesus as being born alone and describe his post-Resurrection appearances with identifiable scars, undermining claims of an impostor. Moreover, Jesus's post-Resurrection actions mirrored his pre-Resurrection miracles, making the impostor theory implausible. The suggestion that the Apostle Thomas was Jesus's twin and possibly substituted at the crucifixion is mentioned in various texts and traditions but lacks concrete evidence. These narratives and the inherent inconsistencies they present, particularly the lack of historical backing and scriptural contradictions, significantly undermine the Twin Theory's credibility as a viable explanation for the Resurrection events.