Matthew 27:51-54 and 28:1-"10 both focus on Christ's death and resurrection-"so these texts must be read together in order to understand their theological significance. However, over time, interpreters have separated these two pericopae, seeing 27:51-"54 as the theological interpretation of the resurrection scene described in 28:1-"10. This book instead proposes a literary reading that properly interprets Matthew 27:51-54 in light of the entire death-resurrection scene, rather than seeing it as an isolated occurrence.