Day: September 20, 2012

Did the Vatican deliberately destroy evidence to keep faith as it is today?

Ancient papyrus that ‘proves Jesus was married’ declared ‘a forgery’, ‘unconvincing’ and ‘suspicious’ by historical experts

  • Ancient document attracted worldwide attention because of a phrase that says Jesus refers to Mary Magdalene as his wife
  • Experts criticise its appearance and grammar, with one calling it ‘dodgy’
Explosive: The ancient papyrus that was said to prove that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene

Historical experts have poured cold water over claims that an ancient papyrus proves Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, describing the fragment as ‘suspicious’ and ‘a forgery’.

The antique attracted worldwide attention because of a bombshell phrase written in Egyptian Coptic that says Jesus refers to Magdalene as ‘my wife’ when speaking to his disciples.

The 8cm by 4cm fragment supports an undercurrent in Christian thought that undermines centuries of Church dogma by suggesting the Christian Messiah was not celibate.

In the text, Jesus appears to be defending her against some criticism, saying ‘she will be my disciple’. Two lines later he then tells the disciples: ‘I dwell with her.’

But historical experts at a Coptic conference in Rome today began to dismiss the papyrus.

Stephen Emmel, professor of Coptology at the University of Muenster, was on the international advisory panel that reviewed the 2006 discovery of the Gospel of Judas.

He said the text accurately quotes Jesus as saying ‘my wife’, but added: ‘There’s something about this fragment in its appearance and also in the grammar of the Coptic that strikes me as being not completely convincing somehow.’

University of Hamburg papyrologist Alin Suciu declared, simply: ‘I would say it’s a forgery. The script doesn’t look authentic.’

Wolf-Peter Funk, a Coptic linguist, said the fragment cannot be judged as it has no context and dismissed it as ‘suspicious’. 

He explained: ‘There are thousands of scraps of papyrus where you find crazy things. It can be anything.’

The incomplete manuscript, written in the ancient Egyptian Coptic language, has been studied by Karen King, Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard University, the oldest endowed academic seat in the US.

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