Harvard journal: Jesus 'wife' papyrus unverified
BOSTON (AP) — A Harvard University journal says it hasn't fully verified research that purportedly shows some early Christians believed Jesus had a wife, even though Harvard's divinity school touted the research during a publicity blitz this week.
The research centers on a fourth-century papyrus fragment containing Coptic text in which Jesus uses the words "my wife." On Tuesday, Harvard Divinity School professor Karen King announced at an international conference that the fragment was the only existing ancient text in which Jesus explicitly talks of having a wife.
Harvard also said King's research was scheduled to be published in the Harvard Theological Review in January and noted the journal was peer-reviewed, which implied the research had been fully vetted.
But on Friday, the review's co-editor Kevin Madigan said he and his co-editor had only "provisionally" committed to a January publication, pending the results of the ongoing studies. In an email, Madigan said the added studies include "scientific dating and further reports from Coptic papyrologists and grammarians."
After Tuesday's announcement, The Associated Press raised questions about the fragment's authenticity and provenance, quoting scholars at the international congress on Coptic studies in Rome, where King delivered the paper. The scholars said the fragment's grammar, form and content raised several red flags. Alin Suciu, a papyrologist at the University of Hamburg, flatly called it a "forgery."
Boston University archaeologist Ricardo Elia said Friday that the Harvard Theological Review should delay publication until the fragment's owner and origins are more clearly documented.
Harvard has kept the owner anonymous, and Elia said that raises questions about professional ethics, because Harvard appears to be protecting the owner, a collector, from other claims to the fragment. The school has said the papyrus most likely came from Egypt, which means it could be Egypt's cultural property, Elia said.
"If it's real, it was looted and smuggled, most likely," he said. "If it's not real, then it shouldn't even be out there in the discussion."
Elia said "lurking behind all of this is the suspicion that the collector is doing this for the purpose of having the scholar authenticate a piece, and get a lot of attention to it, and then turn around and sell it."
King's announcement about the fragment, which she called the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, came after the school released details in advance to The New York Times and The Boston Globe, which gave the story prominent play. The Smithsonian Channel is planning to debut a program about it at end of the month.
Text on the papyrus fragment, written in the language of early Egyptian Christians, records Jesus referring to a woman, Mary, as "my wife," and later saying, "She can be my disciple."
King emphasized the 1.5-by-3-inch fragment was not proof Jesus was married, just evidence that some early Christians thought he was. Christian tradition holds that Jesus was unmarried. Evidence to the contrary, or that he had a female disciple, would fuel debate over the role of women in the church.
King said further testing would be done on the fragment, including ink tests to determine if the chemical components match those used in antiquity.
King also took the fragment to two papyrologists who determined it was very likely authentic. One of the experts, AnneMarie Luijendijk, of Princeton University, said papyrus fragments often don't have provenances because many were taken from Egypt long before that was a major concern.
The Vatican newspaper and Vatican Radio frequently cover academic conferences like the one King attended, but there was no mention of King's discovery in any Vatican media on Tuesday.
___
Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this story from Rome.
The research centers on a fourth-century papyrus fragment containing Coptic text in which Jesus uses the words "my wife." On Tuesday, Harvard Divinity School professor Karen King announced at an international conference that the fragment was the only existing ancient text in which Jesus explicitly talks of having a wife.
Harvard also said King's research was scheduled to be published in the Harvard Theological Review in January and noted the journal was peer-reviewed, which implied the research had been fully vetted.
But on Friday, the review's co-editor Kevin Madigan said he and his co-editor had only "provisionally" committed to a January publication, pending the results of the ongoing studies. In an email, Madigan said the added studies include "scientific dating and further reports from Coptic papyrologists and grammarians."
After Tuesday's announcement, The Associated Press raised questions about the fragment's authenticity and provenance, quoting scholars at the international congress on Coptic studies in Rome, where King delivered the paper. The scholars said the fragment's grammar, form and content raised several red flags. Alin Suciu, a papyrologist at the University of Hamburg, flatly called it a "forgery."
Boston University archaeologist Ricardo Elia said Friday that the Harvard Theological Review should delay publication until the fragment's owner and origins are more clearly documented.
Harvard has kept the owner anonymous, and Elia said that raises questions about professional ethics, because Harvard appears to be protecting the owner, a collector, from other claims to the fragment. The school has said the papyrus most likely came from Egypt, which means it could be Egypt's cultural property, Elia said.
"If it's real, it was looted and smuggled, most likely," he said. "If it's not real, then it shouldn't even be out there in the discussion."
Elia said "lurking behind all of this is the suspicion that the collector is doing this for the purpose of having the scholar authenticate a piece, and get a lot of attention to it, and then turn around and sell it."
King's announcement about the fragment, which she called the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, came after the school released details in advance to The New York Times and The Boston Globe, which gave the story prominent play. The Smithsonian Channel is planning to debut a program about it at end of the month.
Text on the papyrus fragment, written in the language of early Egyptian Christians, records Jesus referring to a woman, Mary, as "my wife," and later saying, "She can be my disciple."
King emphasized the 1.5-by-3-inch fragment was not proof Jesus was married, just evidence that some early Christians thought he was. Christian tradition holds that Jesus was unmarried. Evidence to the contrary, or that he had a female disciple, would fuel debate over the role of women in the church.
King said further testing would be done on the fragment, including ink tests to determine if the chemical components match those used in antiquity.
King also took the fragment to two papyrologists who determined it was very likely authentic. One of the experts, AnneMarie Luijendijk, of Princeton University, said papyrus fragments often don't have provenances because many were taken from Egypt long before that was a major concern.
The Vatican newspaper and Vatican Radio frequently cover academic conferences like the one King attended, but there was no mention of King's discovery in any Vatican media on Tuesday.
___
Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this story from Rome.
Doesn't matter if it is verified or not.
Jesus does have a wife. It is the Church. It is spelled out clearly in the bible.
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This is a nice summary:Â http://www.veritasbible.com/resources/sacred_scripture_shortcuts/categories/Church/Church+as+Bride+of+Christ
4th century, they'll try and verify it as authentic I'm sure while continuing to ignore the canonized version. Jewish custom tells us it's likely Jesus would have been married at his age. Whether or not he was we don't know but so what? He's God for crying out loud.....
Strange how the catholic church wants to cling the image of Jesus as some sort of emasculated eunuch.
Even if the papyrus is verified as authentic, church leaders, particularly in the Vatican, will still decry it as heresy because it's not canonized in the Bible. A manuscript dubbed the Gospel of Mary Magdalene was discovered several years ago in which she refers to herself as Jesus' wife and disciple, and the misogyny flowed like wine at that one. The Christian church has a long and storied history of female suppression. See also Paul's exhortations to the residents of Corinth to keep their women silent in church.
 @Mikeftm I like to believe that Jesus wouldn't even put much faith into what the "Bible" says. Any Bible from any religion, is written by man and therefore flawed. People wrote stories of the times to record important events so that they can be passed down to future generations. People also wrote fictional accounts of those same stories which may have been based on truth however dramatic fictional events were added to make it more entertaining. Men in power decided to make a Bible that would suit them and their agenda of controlling others with fear and guilt. They chose what stories would be included in this Bible and which one's they didn't like were tossed aside. Who cares if Jesus had a wife and/or female disciple? Adams first wife was not Eve (if you believe that story). I personally believe Jesus was the son of God (however aren't we all) and that he did great things in his life and death that benefited mankind. I don't trust any Church that puts themselves in such a high position as to have us treat them as Gods. Kissing the Popes ring and bowing in front of him is insulting to not only God but to the person bowing since we were ALL created equal under God.
interesting article, but you had me at "jesus" and "unverified"