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September 18th, 2012
03:28 PM ET
Newly revealed Coptic fragment has Jesus making reference to 'my wife'By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (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. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter 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. “There’s no indication we have that Jesus was married,” said Darrell Bock, a senior research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. “One could say the text is silent on Jesus’ marital status is because there was nothing to say.” 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.” Bock agreed with the notion that the text fragment shared similarities with those gospels, called the Gnostic Gospels, which were the writings of an early outlier sect of Christians. He said the text could be referring to a "gnostic rite of marriage that is a picture of the church and Jesus, not a real wife." But he added, "it’s a small text with very little context. We don’t know what’s wrapped around it to know what it’s saying.” Bock said it’s likely to be a gnostic text if it proves to be authentic. “The whole text needs vetting. She’s doing the right thing to release it and let scholars take a look at,” he said, adding “it’s a little bit like trying to analyze the game in the first quarter.” “It’s a historical curiosity but doesn’t really tell us who Jesus was,” Bock said. “It’s one small speck of a text in a mountain of texts of about Jesus.” CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories The owner of the fragment has been identified by King as a private collector who has asked to stay anonymous. The owner brought the fragment to Harvard have King examine it in December 2011. King then brought it to the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. Roger Bagnall, the institute's director and an expert on papyrus, examined it and determined it to be authentic, Bangall confirmed to CNN. Ariel Shisha-Halevy, professor of linguistics at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, who was asked to examine the authenticity, according to the draft of the article, told King via e-mail, “I believe - on the basis of language and grammar - the text is authentic. That is to say, all its grammatical ‘noteworthy’ features, separately or conjointly, do not warrant condemning it as forgery.” Little is known about the origin of the text. Because both sides of the fragment have writing on them, King said it could have come out of a book rather than a scroll. "Just like most of the earliest papyri of the New Testament and other literary and documentary papyri, a fragment this damaged could have come from an ancient garbage heap," the King says building on prior research by Luijendijk. King writes "the importance of the 'Gospel of Jesus’ Wife' lies in supplying a new voice within the diverse chorus of early Christian traditions about Jesus that documents that some Christians depicted Jesus as married." The Smithsonian Channel also announced Monday that it will air a special on King's findings on September 30. soundoff (4,539 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Actually forgot to say would CNN or other news sources even dare publish this if it was about Mohamed? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a Christian I know well not to talk blasphemy about God or Jesus, but is not a Christians job to punish anyone, we well know that God will take care of that and do accordingly to what each of us deserves… So let’s stop hypocrisy and stop being political correct. No reason to use Scape goats to blame certain people for their actions of violence and ignorance.
You're a sad little person.
It appears you have just diapered yourself.
It's "scapegoats", not "Scape goats".
If your happy and you know clap your hands... i little and your funny looking...
dump dump I see your face all over, come and wipe me pls.....
You know what... I have to agree with you. This would never be shown if it was something shown about Muslims. You hit it right on. But in a way it is because things are more sensitive in their case because of all the hate against us and terrorism. We dont have troubles with Christians so it is a different way to treat one and the other. But regardless, you got it right, they would never, they would respect them before respecting us Christians.
Be careful and slow to speak when it comes to the MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST because the word of GOD says Matthew 12:36
But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment GOD BLESS THE BELIEVERS
I SHlT on your god, your religion, and you. Don't worry, it doesn't smell as bad as you do.
Is this a reason for us Christians to start a riot and protest and kill inocent people? Why doesn't the Obama/the clintons apologize for offending the Christians????? No need because the true christianity knows better we pray for those who curse us or Talk blasphemies about son of God. Just want to point out how different it would be if this article came out speaking about Islam and Mohammed? Would it spark killings?
A Very Sad Point, and UnChristian ...... you are bashing 1/5 of the world .....I feel that in itself an ignorant statement.
This was found, not made up just to make people angry. Big difference!
very True !!
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying ... he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Leviticus 24:13-16
How do you know it was found really? just because the media says they found???? so everything the media says its true???
Im not offending anyone but just expressing an opionion and my own point of view, however i forgot its a felony to mention anything with Islam. Sorry guys..I sorry for evening daring to say Islam.... I do not agree with Offending anyone’s religion but its not a fair game when people jump all on arms, run scare when a particular religion is mock or talked about.
South park once did some episodes mocking Christianity/Jesus did you see anyone go kill anyone because of that ?????
Sorry two wrongs don’t make it right either, the video was not of my preference of taste, but no reason to use this guy or video to scape goat what has being brewing in the middle east for years now…. This is not new… do research and stop just sitting waiting for the media to tell you everything.
Why doesn't the Obama/the clintons apologize for offending the Christians?????
As soon as they do offend you, i am sure
you will get an apology.
Or are you just imagining something ?
Does it really matter if he was married? When will people give up the mysticism of Jesus. He was a man. Perhaps he was a good man, with good intentions. I don't know. He was not "born of a virgin". The Hebrew word "almah" was mistranslated and nearly all scholars agree on this. In Isaiah, the use of the word almah referred (as it did in several locations in the bible) to a "young girl". The nativity scene is a copy of an Egyptian myth. The cross held religious meaning long before Jesus was hung on one. There are no credible (accepted universally) non-christian eye-witness accounts to Jesus' alleged miracles; and if such miracles occured, and there were truly millions following him, why are all contemporary historians in all other parts of the world completely silent on this? Because Jesus was just a man, preaching in one little spec on the map, to one culture. His life was revisioned to give Christianity some esoteric mysticism to compete with well-entrenched systems like Paganism.
obvious corporate america has learned this same method of "tom-foolery"
So you do believe that Jesus died for your you, amen !!
Horus you just went against GODs only begotten son. WOW Horace be careful not to blasphem the HOLY SPIRIT because JESUS said their is no forgiveness in this life or the life to come if you blasphem the HOLY SPIRIT. This is the only sin you can not be forgiven for and you are on your way with making comments about JESUS. It would serve you better not to say anything and give GOD a chance to have mercy on you and reveal JESUS to you.
Jackie, no I believe Jesus died because he upset the wrong people. I don't view Jesus as anything more than an evangelical of his time. His followers were known to be barbaric and disruptive, regardless of how people want to revision early Christianity. He was a trouble-maker and it cost him his life. I wasn't born then, so he could not have possibly died for me.
@Timothy – ok, so I can r.ape, murder, steal, etc.... and be forgiven but point out simple realities and I will burn....quite the deal for believers. Religions were born of human conjecture. Period. If there is a "god" capable of creating an entire universe it would not likely give a rip about one species that evolved on one spec in that universe; and probably finds humor in the silly myths dreamed up by men during a period of far less understanding.
Timothy,
Go have a glass of wine before you blow a gasket.
Actually, he was saying "Take my wife – PLEASE!"
I believe that he could have been married, after all, he is as much man as he is GOD and vice versa. He could have been married and still never have sinned because of the marriage and of the marriage bed. The marriage vows said before God and consecrated within the bed chamber is a Holy act.
Actually the translation was off. He said"My iPhone5" which sound allot like "my wife"
If anyone does the due deligence, all Rabbi's are married, Even Ishya bin Maryam al Messiah (his real name) was a Galilean, he still would be able to Mary, and you read the scripture's there are 2 Marys .... 1 a Common woman, who sold herself to people, and the other one which was Ishya's Wife. The Cathlolic church which foundations of the Counsel of Narcia around 300 AD elected him to be Immortal, and cleasned the writtings of the Testimony of the original Gospel, to exclude him be married. This was to allow them to control a Patriarchial System. SO women take the back seat. Which is wrong. See the light as it presents itself with clear vision and devotion, he did miraculous things, it is sad the rel truth is never revealed, much like our government, as well the Coroporate World, and the World in General. We the people are fools and have constantly have had the wool pulled over our eyes.
prayer makes the world a better place
k thnx bye
Better for whom? Selah.
Prayer does not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.
An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.
The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs!`.
Sam – Time to do a shot!
If HE wasn't married, then I assume he died a virgin...yes?
Other than all the time in the desert with the apostles...
Maybe he gets to be one of the 72 virgins suicide bombers look forward to...
Where did the idea Jesus went to a rabbinical school appear in the Scriptures?
I believe that would be:
Luke 2:41-47 "41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers."
Good question. I have never heard of him actually attending a rabbinical school per se, however, very little is known of him prior to age 13, when he was instructing the priests at the temple. Rabbi means "teacher", since Jesus is the word, he was able to teach the public about God and about himself without any error and that is why he was called Rabbi. He was known to teach and/or preach wherever he went so the application, Rabbi applies to him. Hope this helps.
Modern Jewry doesn't pay attention, .......'Mat 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.'
The Catholics, either,.......'Mat 23:9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.'
They also called him rabbi in the gospels.
Thanks to the two posters. That's the only thing that came to my my mind, too.
Put the situation in the time that it occured. Rabbi means teacher and has to be married. So, if Jesus was called Rabbi, that is further proof that he was married. Per custom and law of the time in which he lived...
Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
Right.
I am halfway back home with a wife and two empty donkies
and i dont realise that i have left my kid behind ?
The people who write this stuff must think thier readers are stupid.
Maybe they are.
Harvard Divinity School Professor Karen King grinding his claims and Coptic revelations.
The fragment of papyrus is a very late copy of a probable greek text, perhaps of the XIII or XIV century.
Smiling, the most important scholars of the Coptic congress in Rome say this is “bufala”.
They think also that in the late fragment, from a spiritual narrative text, Jesus speaks of Jerusalem, his spiritual Wife, obviously!
In the Christian’s exegesis the Wife of Jesus is the Holy Church.
The Coptic world strikes again!
From the article:
"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."
Ah you seem to be subscribing to the same school of thought that the racy bits in the Song of Songs is about God's love for Jerusalem. That's a pretty far fetched idea if you ask me.
Tell someone that elephants have wings and no one believes you.
Write it down on paper, and save it somewhere. thousands of years later, its will be fact and everyone will believe you.
Exactly...
What a pathetic analogy. Many scholars believe the historical Jesus existed based on writings of historians like Josephus who lived at that time in history. That fact is independent of whether you beileve him to be the son of God or not.
steelerguin,
Josephus reported on the *Christians* of the day... and what *they* believed and claimed about their hero.
http://www.truthbeknown.com/pliny.htm#.UFn9uFFzG80
Steelgrin, Belief is NOT evidence of existence.
There is ZERO contemporary evidence that Jesus or anyone like him existed. Stories about a magical hero are not evidence of the existence of a non magical person.
steeler – the writings of josephus were decades after jesus fabled death. he reported on the many messianic cults of the time.
Well thousands of years later historical facts will show that elephants did exist as well.
The bible was written by mortal, power hungry controlling wealthy men. The idea that it came from an invisible powerful being is utterly RIDICULOUS! Was there a man named Jesus? Most likely. Heck Mexico is full of guys named Jesus! Was he a Messiah? No more than the homeless guy on the streets that claims he is. If you people want to live a lie and believe in faries, go right ahead. Just keep it to yourself, don't hurt anyone and stay he heck away from politics, science and progress!
Let us atheists go to hell (LOL) in peace when we die and you go right ahead and go to heaven (LOL). In the mean time while we are in this world LIVE and LET LIVE. El Respeto al derecho ajeno es la Paz (Benito Juarez). Respect for others' rights means peace.
Peace
@steeler
Not being a biblical scholar, I can't remember if HE had a pet dinosaur, or maybe that was a TV show, please, clarify, oh wise one?
It is doubtful that a historical Jeshua (Jesus) existed anyway, so the notion that 'he' may or may not have had a wife is irrelevant. The earliest Christian writings (the letters of Paul who never met Jeshua in person) did not appear until circa 70 A.D. in the Asia Minor region outside of Palestine. There is no evidence of independent Jewish writings of such a purportedly controversial figure in the relevant time period (a curious omission). In addition, the remarkable similarities between Christianity and other Mystery Religions of the time suggest that Christanity was an evolutionary hybrid of Jewish Messianism with pagan Savior God mythology. It is also likely, given the evidence, that Christianity originated in the Asia Minor region outside of Palestine among paganized Jews (possibly Essenes).
I agree. There is no actual evidence that this magical character was connected in anyway to a living person. There were thousands of cults at this time, all with their own hero stories. Fiction was a common tool to illustrate beliefs about valued or abhorred human characteristics. A story about a magical character written decades after he supposedly died is not historical evidence of a non magical person existing. Yet, even academics make a special case for Jesus because of tradition and mass belief.
Excellent copy and paste btw.
Though if he had existed in the jewish world around the time of King Herod, for him to remain unmarried into his 30's would have done more than raise a few eyebrows. Even the priests in the temple were married. But odds are there was a carpenter named Jesus who did gain some following but was likely married much like nearly all of the other supposed messiahs of that time period, as there were many, for the Jewish people had been awaiting his arrival for hundreds of years and were then feeling the boot of Rome on their necks and assumed this was the time the messiah would come as the true King of Israel and throw off the shackles of Roman tyranny. Odd's that said carpenter was the divine seed of the creator of the universe magicly implanted in a human? Somewhere between zero and seuss.
Read Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews. While Josephus was born in 37, he had contact with many who were alive at the time Jesus was, and many take his writings as proof of the historical Jesus.
Steelerguin, I suppose you are referring to Josephus and the passage that most historians concede is an interpolation and not part of the original transcript. I have read the passage you refer to (a number of times) and there is no doubt that the narrative flows much better without it. It is also clear that the interpolated passage was written by a Christian believer and not Josephus who was unquestionably a Jew. I am not aware of any other Jewish or Roman writings that refer to the existence of a 1st century Jesus (and yes I am aware of the passage in Tacitus that refers to the existence of Christians but not jesus and the the passage in Seleucus). Apparently I have done a great deal more research on the subject than you have.
@steelerguin
Also of note is that Josepheus claimed to be the messiah himself for a time so using him as one who verified another messiahs existence seem's illogical at best.
one thing is certain, with all the deities, religions and doctrines today and throughout history. man is very adept at inventing god.
Yep. We do fiction well.
Yes, even historical fiction... and fantasy, horror and sci-fi stories.
Remember November 1 is 'Burn a Holy Book Day' so select your favorite holy book and throw it on a bonfire. Be sure to video the burning and post it all over the net.
how the fact of Jesus been maried or not maried can change his words and wisdom? this fact in totally irrelevant for the overall picure which is his message (love everyone as you expect them to love you). anyone means anyone period.
Read the article. It matters a lot to the Catholic tradition (and several others).
According the Bible, Jesus was on the earth and was to experience every trial of man. You can't experience every trial of man without having had a wife and children, especially teenagers. It only makes sense that he was both married and a father.
There need to be exceptions to that "every trial" argument, however. For example Jesus never had to repent or seek forgiveness with his brothers/friends: a trial that men have to go through a lot.
A wife an children would be pretty big exceptions. Just saying.
Satan, Chris Benoit, Hitler, Tom Cruise, Stalin, Hillary Clinton and Lindsay Lohan will all vote for Obama.
Will you be fool enough to do the same?
SAVE YOUR SOUL FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION! VOTE FOR GOD'S CHOICE! VOTE FOR MITT ROMNEY! IT'S WHO JESUS WOULD VOTE FOR!
Give me a break. Romney would have been a money changer at the Temple. He doesn't care about the poor, or the sick, or anything but his money.
Save America from what???
funny
Since there is no god I suppose I am safe voting for Obama.
That the dead guys you mentioned can only vote in Florida and it is probably a lock for the demos, even if they dangle their chads again!!!
Sorry,
just got off the phone with Jesus.
He told me to vote for Obama.
My soul is safe.
Did he also tell Mitt to not care about 47% of Americans because they're losers?
ok, there is trolling, and then there is your post. awful attempt
Well by your argument the following people would vote for Romney if they were still alive:
Spanish Conquistadors and Priests(Responsible for millions of Native Americans' deaths during the conquest and Inquisition)
The Crusaders, as well as the Muslims they killed and were killed by.
Hitler, because he was a right wing extremist Christian who wanted to eradicate the race that "killed Jesus."
I can go on but what's the point..
God the Mother is the Bride!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLwNWqsxLac&w=560&h=315%5D
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLwNWqsxLac&w=640&h=390]
Nice, do you have one on Unicorns? I mean one mythos' needs another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAtRCJIqnk