ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Stolen body hypothesis

Okay, so you know how when someone dies, they are usually buried or cremated so they can rest in peace? Well, the stolen body hypothesis is when some people think that maybe someone took the body of a dead person instead of leaving them alone.

Imagine you have a favorite toy that you love to play with every day. But one day, you can't find it anywhere, and you start to think someone might have taken it. That's kind of what people who believe in the stolen body hypothesis think happened to some dead people.

Some people think that maybe someone took the body of Jesus Christ after he died on the cross because he was a very important figure to many people. Others think that maybe someone took the body of famous author Edgar Allan Poe because he was very popular and had some enemies who wanted to hurt him even after he died.

But just like losing your toy doesn't necessarily mean someone took it, there isn't any real proof that someone actually stole these bodies. It's just a theory some people believe in.