Theologically Jesus had to be the first person resurrected, so Schweizer believes the wording of this verse was switched to ensure the saints only rose after Jesus. Most modern scholars thus do not consider these events to be historical. Bultmann refers to them as "pure novelistic motifs." Hagnar states that these events make more theological than historical sense. Brown comments that the strength of this part of the narrative is "atmosphere, not details." There have been attempts to reconcile this verse with other sources. One proposition is that by the "holy city" Matthew is not referring to Jerusalem, but rather to heaven. The saints thus appeared only in heaven, explaining why no other source makes note of this event. Most scholars reject this understanding, as "holy city" has referred to Jerusalem throughout Matthew's gospel (such as at Matthew 4:5). The theory also fails to explain what is meant when Matthew states they were "seen by many." References Sources 27:53