Paul claimed to be an apostle based on seeing the risen Christ a few years after the Easter event. In the timeline of the Gospels this appearance  clearly occurred after the Ascension. Did Paul know about or even hear about the Ascension during his preaching? I was wondering if the empty tomb stories at the end of all four Gospels required an Ascension. I mean if you had a bodily resurrection, an empty tomb and appearances you have to have a method of removing the body from the earth.