Papyrus fragment refers to Jesus' wife

66,424 · September 18, 2012

(CNN) - A newly revealed, centuries-old papyrus fragment suggests that some early Christians might have believed Jesus was married. The fragment, written in Coptic, a language used by Egyptian Christians, says in part, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife ..."

Harvard Divinity School Professor Karen King announced the findings of the 1 1/2- by 3-inch honey-colored fragment on Tuesday in Rome at the International Association for Coptic Studies.

King has been quick to add this discovered text "does not, however, provide evidence that the historical Jesus was married," she wrote in a draft of her analysis of the fragment set to appear in the January edition of Harvard Theological Review. The divinity school has posted a draft of King's article to which AnneMarie Luijendijk, an associate professor of religion at Princeton University, contributed.

"This fragment, this new piece of papyrus evidence, does not prove that (Jesus) was married, nor does it prove that he was not married. The earliest reliable historical tradition is completely silent on that. So we're in the same position we were before it was found. We don't know if he was married or not," King said in a conference call with reporters.

"What I'm really quick to say is to cut off people who would say this is proof that Jesus was married because historically speaking, it's much too late to constitute historical evidence," she continued. "I'm not saying he was, I'm not saying he wasn't. I'm saying this doesn't help us with that question," she continued.

In the accounts of Jesus' life in the Bible, there is no mention of his marital status, while the accounts do mention Jesus' mother, father and siblings. The four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - tell the story of Jesus' birth and early childhood then skip to his short, three-year ministry before detailing his death and resurrection.

The idea that Jesus was married is not a new one.

In other writings about the life of Jesus from antiquity suggest Jesus may have been married to Mary Magdalene, a disciple who was close to Jesus. Author Dan Brown also used the idea of Jesus being married as a jumping off point for the fictional novel "The Da Vinci Code." King dismissed that notion in her call with reporters.

Initial dating for the honey-colored fragment by the team of scholars puts the papyrus piece coming out of the middle of the second century.

King is referring to the fragment as the "The Gospel of Jesus' Wife" or "GosJesWife" as a short hand for reference, and noting that the abbreviation does not mean this scrap has the same historical weight as the canonical Gospels.

Biblical scholars often use the term gospel to refer to a genre of ancient writings featuring dialogue between Jesus and his disciples, King notes in her paper. The Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Judas are just a few of the ancient accounts about the life of Jesus that Christians do not consider canonical.

At the conference, King said another professor suggested the fragment could have come from the text of a homily, or sermon, where the writer was using this phrase as a literary device. She told reporters that while she will consider that as a possibility, the fragment is ?probably a gospel. Probably from the second century and most close to the Gospels of Mary, Thomas and Philip.?

source

1,206 · September 18, 2012

This might be mentioning his Bride, which is the Christian believers.

3,255 · September 18, 2012

This might be mentioning his Bride, which is the Christian believers.

^^^This. And even if it was a real lady why does it matter. It does not make him less of God to get married if anything it reinforces the ideals of marriage and such.

8,618 · September 18, 2012

as with all writings in mythology, people will bend it to cater to their beliefs

6,410 · September 18, 2012

200 years, anonymous authors... Yeah i believe it :rofl:

17,457 · September 18, 2012

i would find it weird if the actual historical real person of jesus, was not married.

11,015 · September 18, 2012

Good thing it was written down, or else no one would ever believe it to be true!

13,286 · September 18, 2012

This might be mentioning his Bride, which is the Christian believers.

66,424 · September 18, 2012

Maybe this was from a romance novel of the time. ;)

5,639 · September 19, 2012

Pity they can't find one that says :

"all religion is made up bollox; move on with your lives; stop fighting over nonsense; work together to solve the very real problems which face humanity"

The pious love ancient texts written in languages unintelligible to them, so they might take notice.

Start digging now!

41,460 · September 19, 2012

"This fragment, this new piece of papyrus evidence, does not prove that (Jesus) was married, nor does it prove that he was not married. The earliest reliable historical tradition is completely silent on that. So we're in the same position we were before it was found. We don't know if he was married or not," King said in a conference call with reporters.

So it's a worthless find?

September 19, 2012

Silly people, it was probably the first fan fiction story of history! :shifty:

4,830 · September 19, 2012

Silly people, it was probably the first fan fiction story of history! :shifty:

No it wasn't.

66,424 · September 19, 2012

No scrolls really 'prove' that a person was 'real' or a particular event happened.

13,286 · September 19, 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19645273

Jim West, a professor and Baptist pastor in Tennessee, said: "A statement on a papyrus fragment isn't proof of anything. It's nothing more than a statement 'in thin air', without substantial context."

That's what we call irony

3,109 · September 19, 2012

This might be mentioning his Bride, which is the Christian believers.

So what you're saying, is that your Jesus' bride? And what you're also saying, is that Male Christian believers are Jesus' bride?

I thought the bible frowned on Homosexual marriage?

66,424 · September 21, 2012

^ The original Christ did not frown on homosexuals. ;)

41,460 · September 21, 2012

^ The original Christ did not frown on homosexuals. ;)

I doubt that. The Bible is very clear on it's teachings about homosexuality.

6,410 · September 21, 2012

I doubt that. The Bible is very clear on it's teachings about homosexuality.

In the same way its very clear on working on sunday with similar penalty's :rolleyes:

2,973 · September 21, 2012

I doubt that. The Bible is very clear on it's teachings about homosexuality.

It's not that clear, it's just open to interpretation

September 21, 2012

This content is very good, relax a bit, Look at the funny short jokes

1,206 · September 21, 2012

as with all writings in mythology, people will bend it to cater to their beliefs

Mythology? LOL you guys are the dumbest people on Earth. What's next? Aristotle or Plato are myths as well?

Don't answer that, we already know the answer. If they had anything to do with religion you numb nuts would say that they are myths as well.

13,286 · September 21, 2012

I doubt that. The Bible is very clear on it's teachings about homosexuality.

The bible is a collection of works from multiple author's but nothing was written about Jesus saying anything specific on the subject

1,206 · September 21, 2012

So what you're saying, is that your Jesus' bride? And what you're also saying, is that Male Christian believers are Jesus' bride?

I thought the bible frowned on Homosexual marriage?

That is because it is not that kind of marriage. It's a spirtiual marriage. His spiritual bride is his church.

This has nothing to do with any kind of physical sex or attraction in other words.

There are two kinds of deaths as well, death like you know it down here and spiritual death (hell).

8,618 · September 21, 2012

Mythology? LOL you guys are the dumbest people on Earth. What's next? Aristotle or Plato are myths as well?

Don't answer that, we already know the answer. If they had anything to do with religion you numb nuts would say that they are myths as well.

you know... mythology, take your pic from the LONG LONG list of gods that existed in peoples minds since forever... the big ones today include Jesus, Allah and a few others,

as a side note: yogurtmaster, i want to ask you a quick question.. do you think if you had been born in Pakistan chances are likely you would be Muslim? and if you were born in the west, chances are you would be christian? Whatever your answer is, think about the possibility that "YOUR" beliefs are the way they are ONLY because of where you were born. Scary thought huh?

Agdistis or Angdistis

Amaterasu SUN GODS AND GODDESSES

An

Anahita WAR GODS AND GODDESSES