Papyrus scrap reopens debate if Jesus was married

ROME -- A scrap of papyrus dated to the fourth century has written on it in the ancient Coptic language, "Jesus said to them, my wife," reopening the debate about whether Jesus was married, as some early Christians believed.

The words on the honey-colored fragment are the first evidence of that belief, according to Karen King, a professor of divinity at Harvard Divinity School, who presented the finding Tuesday at the International Congress of Coptic Studies in Rome. The writing in black ink is in the language of Egyptian Christians, on a fragment of about 1.5 by 3 inches.

The fragment probably is authentic, based on the papyrus and handwriting, Roger Bagnall, director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York said from Harvard. Early Christians didn't agree about whether they ought to marry or remain always celibate, and the earliest claim that Jesus didn't marry is from 200 A.D., King said.

King declined to name the owner of the papyrus fragment, who she said brought it to her for translation.

It belonged to a scripture dubbed by King "Gospel of Jesus's Wife" for reference, and was probably originally written in Greek and translated into Coptic for the local Christians.

In the draft of their paper, King and Luijendijk say the fragment doesn't provide evidence that Jesus was married, as it was probably originally composed "in the second half of the second century." Nor is there any evidence that, if Jesus were married, it was to Mary Magdalene, the paper says.

Instead, it's more likely that the fragment reflects the views of early Christians that depicted Jesus as married. The context of the fragment suggests that the topic being discussed were questions about family and discipleship. -- Bloomberg News