The front of the papyrus fragment. Karen L. King /Harvard hide caption
toggle caption
Karen L. King /Harvard
The front of the papyrus fragment.
Karen L. King /Harvard
An ancient piece of text is reviving an equally ancient debate: Was Jesus Christ married?
Of course, most Christians believe that he wasn't. But today, Harvard Professor of Divinity Karen King presented a scrap of papyrus that dates back to the fourth century. She told a gathering of scholars in Rome that written in Coptic was this surprising sentence: "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...' "
"Christian tradition has long held that Jesus was not married, even though no reliable historical evidence exists to support that claim," King said in a press release. "This new gospel doesn't prove that Jesus was married, but it tells us that the whole question only came up as part of vociferous debates about sexuality and marriage. From the very beginning, Christians disagreed about whether it was better not to marry, but it was over a century after Jesus' death before they began appealing to Jesus' marital status to support their positions."
King adds that this new gospel also tells us that some early Christians believed that Jesus was indeed married.
The New York Times reports that the provenance of the fragment is not known because the owner asked to remain anonymous. Still, the Times reports, this ancient debate is relevant today:
"Even with many questions unsettled, the discovery could reignite the debate over whether Jesus was married, whether Mary Magdalene was his wife and whether he had a female disciple. These debates date to the early centuries of Christianity, scholars say. But they are relevant today, when global Christianity is roiling over the place of women in ministry and the boundaries of marriage.
"The discussion is particularly animated in the Roman Catholic Church, where despite calls for change, the Vatican has reiterated the teaching that the priesthood cannot be opened to women and married men because of the model set by Jesus."
The Washington Post reports that in her announcement in Rome, King said that the Vatican had not yet responded to her findings. Harvard quotes two independent experts who believe the 3-inch fragment is authentic, both after examining the papyrus and the writing and after examining the language and grammar.
King and AnneMarie Luijendijk, an associate professor of religion at Princeton University, will present their hypothesis in the January 2013 issue of Harvard Theological Review journal.
Harvard has posted images of both sides of the fragment along with a line-by-line transcription and translation.
King points out that ultimate confirmation will come from further testing, especially of the chemical composition of the ink.
Update at 10:15 a.m. ET, Sept. 19: On Morning Edition today, NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reported that King says that while the scrap of papyrus is not evidence that Jesus was married, it is "quite clear evidence, in fact, that some Christians, probably in the second half of the second century ... thought that Jesus had a wife."
Barbara also talked with Darrell Bock, a New Testament scholar at the Dallas Theological Seminary, who says the scrap is an extraordinary discovery, but is at this point more of "an asterisk" regarding what is known about Jesus — and not enough to begin considering changes to any church's theology.
FAQs
Jesus disciples did marry. Jesus was at a stage of life where he gave up everything in order to perform the purposes of his father. So we have no evidence that he desired to be married or was married or that there was some part of his ministry that involved marriage.
Could Jesus have had a wife? ›
"Christian tradition has long held that Jesus was not married, even though no reliable historical evidence exists to support that claim," King said in a press release.
Did Jesus ever have a girlfriend or wife? ›
There is no historical or biblical evidence to suggest that Jesus Christ had a romantic or sexual relationship with anyone, including a girlfriend. According to Christian teachings, Jesus lived a celibate life and focused on his mission to spread his message of love and salvation to all people.
Did Jesus have a wife in Islam? ›
Islam understands that the prophets were married, and they considered Jesus a prophet. So even though the Qur'an did not say Jesus was married, it's interesting to ask the question about what Christians were thinking about Jesus's marital status in a milieu where Muhammad and other prophets were married.
Why was the book of Mary removed from the Bible? ›
The Gospel of Mary is an early Christian text deemed unorthodox by the men who shaped the nascent Catholic church, was excluded from the canon, and was subsequently erased from the history of Christianity along with most narratives that demonstrated women's contributions to the early Christian movement.
What is the name of Jesus' daughter? ›
There is no evidence in both historical records and mainstream scholarship to support the idea that Jesus had a daughter named Sarah. This claim primarily derives from the controversial book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," which has been widely criticized for its perceived lack of credibility and historical accuracy.
Where in the Bible does it say Jesus had a wife? ›
Although the Biblical gospels contain metaphorical references to Christ, saying he is a bridegroom, they mean he is married to the church and there is no reference to a real wife.
Was there a woman with Jesus? ›
Women as disciples
From the beginning, Jewish women disciples, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and Salome had accompanied Jesus during his ministry and supported him out of their private means.
Did Mary Magdalene ever marry? ›
Also they [the Cathars] teach in their secret meetings that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Christ. She was the Samaritan woman to whom He said, "Call thy husband".
Who was Jesus' first wife? ›
"The Lost Gospel" authors based assertions on an ancient manuscript. Authors of a new book say they have evidence to back up claims the savior was married to Mary Magdalene.
Penrose of the First Presidency answered the question “Do you believe that Jesus was married?” by pleading the Saints' collective ignorance on the sub- ject: “We do not know anything about Jesus Christ being married.
What does the Koran say about Jesus? ›
In the Quranic view, Jesus was miraculously born, but this did not make him “son of God” — let alone “God the son.” Instead, he was “nothing more than a messenger of God” who “would never disdain to be a servant of God” (4:171-72).
Do Muslims believe Jesus was crucified? ›
The various sects of Islam have different views regarding this topic; traditionally, mainstream Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified but was bodily raised up to heaven by God, while Ahmadi Muslims reject this belief and instead contend that Jesus survived the crucifixion, was taken off the cross alive and ...
Do Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Jesus? ›
Muslims believe that Jesus (called “Isa” in Arabic) was a prophet of God and was born to a virgin (Mary). They also believe he will return to Earth before the Day of Judgment to restore justice and defeat al-Masih ad-Dajjal, or “the false messiah” — also known as the Antichrist.
Where in the Bible does it say Jesus was married? ›
Although the Biblical gospels contain metaphorical references to Christ, saying he is a bridegroom, they mean he is married to the church and there is no reference to a real wife.
Does Jesus mention marriage in the Bible? ›
In the first, Matthew quotes Jesus as saying: “It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, except on the grounds of p*rneia (sexual immorality), makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32).
Did Jesus kiss Mary Magdalene? ›
There is a breathtaking moment in the Gospel of Philip, one of the Gnostic gospels, which were denounced by the church as heresy. The apostles witness Jesus kissing Mary Magdalene on the mouth. The apostles are horrified, jealous. ''Why do you love her more than us?
Did Jesus recognize divorce? ›
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matt 19:8-9, NIV).
