Was Jesus Married?
ProudProgressive
2012/09/19 11:26:21
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Was Jesus married? Ancient papyrus fragment refers to his 'wife'
By Michael Winter
6:54 AM, September 19, 2012 |
This Sept. 5, 2012 photo released by Harvard University shows a fourth century fragment of papyrus that divinity professor Karen L. King says is the only existing ancient text that quotes Jesus explicitly referring to having a wife. King, an expert in the history of Christianity, says the text contains a dialogue in which Jesus refers to "my wife," whom he identified as Mary. King says the fragment of Coptic script is a copy of a gospel, probably written in Greek in the second century.
A papyrus fragment from the fourth century contains a phrase in which Jesus refers to "My wife," which a U.S. scholar says is the first evidence supporting the belief among early Christians that he was married, The New York Times reports.
The fragment consists of eight lines of black ink, written in Coptic, which include the phrase. "Jesus said to them, 'My wife ...' " Below it is what the Times calls "a second provocative clause" that reportedly says, "she will be able to be my disciple."
Karen King, a Christian scholar at the Harvard Divinity School, presented the finding today in Rome at the International Congress of Coptic Studies. She said in a statement that the earliest claim that Jesus did not marry is from 200 A.D. Early Christians did not always agree on whether they should marry or be celibate.
The fragment does not prove that Jesus was married or that if he was that it was to Mary Magdalene, according to the draft paper.
Based on the faded papyrus and handwriting, the fragment is likely authentic, Roger Bagnell, director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York, said in a statement from Harvard, Bloomberg reports.
King did not identify the owner of the fragment, which is about the size of a business card.
King showed the fragment, enclosed in glass, to the Times,The Boston Globe and Harvard Magazine on Thursday.
In an interview, the Times writes, King "repeatedly cautioned that this fragment should not be taken as proof that Jesus, the historical person, was actually married. The text was probably written centuries after Jesus lived, and all other early, historically reliable Christian literature is silent on the question," she said.
"This fragment suggests that some early Christians had a tradition that Jesus was married," King told the Times. "There was, we already know, a controversy in the second century over whether Jesus was married, caught up with a debate about whether Christians should marry and have sex."
Princeton University religion professor AnneMarie Luijendijk, who co-authored the paper with King, said the fragment's poor condition suggests it was found in a garbage heap, Bloomberg writes.
The Smithsonian Channel will air a special on the discovery Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
By Michael Winter
6:54 AM, September 19, 2012 |
This Sept. 5, 2012 photo released by Harvard University shows a fourth century fragment of papyrus that divinity professor Karen L. King says is the only existing ancient text that quotes Jesus explicitly referring to having a wife. King, an expert in the history of Christianity, says the text contains a dialogue in which Jesus refers to "my wife," whom he identified as Mary. King says the fragment of Coptic script is a copy of a gospel, probably written in Greek in the second century.
A papyrus fragment from the fourth century contains a phrase in which Jesus refers to "My wife," which a U.S. scholar says is the first evidence supporting the belief among early Christians that he was married, The New York Times reports.
The fragment consists of eight lines of black ink, written in Coptic, which include the phrase. "Jesus said to them, 'My wife ...' " Below it is what the Times calls "a second provocative clause" that reportedly says, "she will be able to be my disciple."
Karen King, a Christian scholar at the Harvard Divinity School, presented the finding today in Rome at the International Congress of Coptic Studies. She said in a statement that the earliest claim that Jesus did not marry is from 200 A.D. Early Christians did not always agree on whether they should marry or be celibate.
The fragment does not prove that Jesus was married or that if he was that it was to Mary Magdalene, according to the draft paper.
Based on the faded papyrus and handwriting, the fragment is likely authentic, Roger Bagnell, director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York, said in a statement from Harvard, Bloomberg reports.
King did not identify the owner of the fragment, which is about the size of a business card.
King showed the fragment, enclosed in glass, to the Times,The Boston Globe and Harvard Magazine on Thursday.
In an interview, the Times writes, King "repeatedly cautioned that this fragment should not be taken as proof that Jesus, the historical person, was actually married. The text was probably written centuries after Jesus lived, and all other early, historically reliable Christian literature is silent on the question," she said.
"This fragment suggests that some early Christians had a tradition that Jesus was married," King told the Times. "There was, we already know, a controversy in the second century over whether Jesus was married, caught up with a debate about whether Christians should marry and have sex."
Princeton University religion professor AnneMarie Luijendijk, who co-authored the paper with King, said the fragment's poor condition suggests it was found in a garbage heap, Bloomberg writes.
The Smithsonian Channel will air a special on the discovery Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Read More: http://www.freep.com/article/20120919/NEWS07/12091...
Were the words this fragment attributes to Christ actually spoken by the historical person? Highly unlikely. More likely just some anonymous 2nd century pious soul with an overactive imagination engaging in a bit of speculative fiction.
Anyone trying to prove Christ was married is going to need a WHOLE lot more than this.
There are manuscript fragments of the New Testament in existence dating as early as ca. 125AD (cf. the Rylands MSS). There are even earlier examples of writers quoting from the New Testament. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107AD) quotes from 3 of the 4 gospels and most of the Pauline epistles. Clement of Rome cites in a letter dating possibly as early as 70AD (but more likely ca. 90-95AD) from at least five Pauline epistles, from the letter of James, from Hebrews, and from the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), indicating those writings were circulating within fifty years after the death of Christ.
With the probable exceptions of John and Revelation, the New Testament writings were completed and circulating well before the end of the first century AD.
No offense intended, but anyone who doesn't understand the difference between this single scrap of papyrus and the breadth and depth of MSS support for the New Testament writings, or the difference between the apocryphal gospels and their canonical counterparts, understands little about either textual criticism or the history of the New Testament.
If this parchment is really authentic, then His 'wife' he refers to could possibly be the church bride, or maybe something in relating terms to that.
He didn't marry, there's no record of it, and if he ever did; He would have made it known.
References to Jesus' wife were PURPOSELY removed from scriptures during the middle years of the church to maintain a patriarchy. Kinda like what the Republicans want to do.
Whoever controls what writing is saved and what is destroyed controls history.
Other than the fact that being a Jew, it was good for his reputation that he did.
Where does it say that?
Marriage? It's a good narrative, and it fits what we know, if you look at the role of women in this movement and how it might have grown, and then apparently been repressed.
(Let me rephrase the question) What can you say to prove that Jesus got married when he came to earth?
You're fifteen. Read OTHER books.
Read it for yourself. Though you might be older, you could learn something from it.
Don't let anybody tell you what to think. Life hasn't even started yet at 15. You know less than nothing, and that is not an insult. Question everything and everyone and don't stop learning new opinions.
Haha You are obviously the one lacking in knowledge, since I have been asking and correcting you for the past few days! You don't know me except what you might read on my bio. (You can't say I don't know anything if your obviously guilty of the same thing)
I am not saying that your better than me, only that you might have more life experience than me which.. Duh, at nearly age 60, I would hope so!) doesn't mean I don't know anything.
Like you said, you can always learn new things. Live what you preach.
Since you certainly wouldn't make unfounded claims, you must have evidence to support your assertion, right? Someone other than Baigent and Leigh, I mean.
Heck, they have a show called "Ancient Aliens". Do you think that is accurate? Because THAT show says that the Christian God is a, quote, "flesh and blood extraterrestrial".
They have not, to my knowledge, ever been criticized for inaccuracy and never been accused of any "blatantly false content".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Nevertheless, let's not get too far from the basic point - there is evidence to suggest that Jesus as a historical figure did in fact exist. That evidence is not conclusive and the point is still debated by many scholars. It seems that most of the arguments against his existence are based on the lack of records (as one would expect - you'll never find a period text that says "Jesus doesn't exist" LOL) I don't think calling Jesus "fictional" is appropriate, but that's simply my opinion. You are entitled to yours.
[Next you'll be telling us that the Celestial Temple doesn't really exist, right? LOL]
http://www.jesusneverexisted....
http://listverse.com/2009/04/...
http://rationalrevolution.net...