The Jewish authorities conceived to mount a powerful disinformation campaign, to undermine the verity of the Resurrection, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'" (Matt 28:12- 13) They handsomely bribed the Roman guards, whose positions may be jeopardized by this narrative, as death was the penalty for sleeping on duty. But the soldiers need not worry, "we will take care of the governor and you won't be in any trouble." The chief priests knew their way with Pontius Pilate.
In human history, greed, fear, and lust for power or control have usually characterized the motivation for hatching a conspiracy, and the typical methods employed are secrecy, sentiments, bribery, and violence. The Jewish leaders were desperate. This Resurrection story was going to make them lose face with the people, lose the respect of the Roman overlords, and ultimately the power and prestige they exclusively enjoyed, before Jesus of Nazareth came on the scene.
No, they couldn't afford to lose grounds to this "nobody of a man," claiming to be the Messiah. "We will give it whatever it takes." Pilate won't be a problem, because he was equally a corrupt official. He would easily play ball because they've got something on him, more so, he was reluctant in getting his hands soiled with the prosecution of Jesus (Matt 27:24). However, it seemed no matter how Pilate tried to wash his hands off this conspiracy, even if he had bathed in a pool of sanitizer, he would never be clean or clear of it.
The chief priests, indeed, had their way, creating 'solid' machinery to filter out a convincing false narrative of "the disciples stole the body" among the Jewish public, who uncritically swallowed the story. For over 40 years the theory kept circulating (Matt 28:15); even today the 'stolen body hypothesis' is still a strong basis for an argument against the Resurrection of Christ.
Don't get caught in the web of conspiracy theories. Don't ignorantly collaborate to accomplish the malevolent goals of conspiracy theorists. Put on your thinking cap. Learn to process information. Verify the sources of information you receive or encounter. Do not engage in stories you can't authenticate. Don't becloud your sense of judgment with the cloak or cassock of religion. Remember, the chief priests were also religious leaders.
You must not go around spreading false stories against other people. Don’t do anything that would put your neighbor’s life in danger. I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:16).
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