Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Papyrus Referring to Jesus’ Wife Is More Likely Ancient Than Fake, Scientists Say
NY Slimes ^ | 4/10/2014 | Laurie Goodstein

Posted on 04/10/2014 1:54:14 PM PDT by mojito

A faded fragment of papyrus known as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife,” which caused an uproar when unveiled by a Harvard Divinity School historian in 2012, has been tested by scientists who conclude in a journal published on Thursday that the ink and papyrus are very likely ancient, and not a modern forgery.

Skepticism about the tiny scrap of papyrus has been fierce because it contained a phrase never before seen in any piece of Scripture: “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife...’ ” Too convenient for some, it also contained the words “she will be able to be my disciple,” a clause that inflamed the debate in some churches over whether women should be allowed to be priests.

The papyrus fragment has now been analyzed by professors of electrical engineering, chemistry and biology at Columbia University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who reported that it resembles other ancient papyri from the fourth to the eighth centuries. (Scientists at the University of Arizona, who dated the fragment to centuries before the birth of Jesus, concluded that their results were unreliable.)

The test results do not prove that Jesus had a wife or disciples who were women, only that the fragment is more likely a snippet from an ancient manuscript than a fake, the scholars agree.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: History; Religion; Science
KEYWORDS: arielsabar; catholicchurch; epigraphyandlanguage; faithandphilosophy; godsgravesglyphs; gospelofjesuswife; harvard; hewasarabbi; hoax; jamescameron; jamesossuary; jesustomb; jesuswife; karenking; letshavejerusalem; losttombofjesus; mariame; mariamne; marymagdalene; rabbismarry; religiousleft; revisionisthistory; sectarianturmoil; simchajacobovici; smashthepatriarchy; talpiot; talpiottomb; veritas; waronchristianity; waronhistory; waronreligion; weddingatcana; womenpriests
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last
To: F15Eagle
Find in the Gospels anywhere where Jesus was married.

His bride is the Church. He is her bridegroom.

61 posted on 04/10/2014 2:34:56 PM PDT by Slyfox
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

Comment #62 Removed by Moderator

To: mojito

“Ancient” as in “early Medieval” (600-900 A.D.), but “early Medieval” doesn’t have the cachet that “ancient” does. At any rate, it’s a very late document of extremely dubious pedigree.


63 posted on 04/10/2014 2:45:03 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise
"Why don’t scientists ever discount the tale of Mohammed riding into Heaven on horseback as Islamist holidays approach?"

We know the answer to that - fear, cowardice, and political correctness.
64 posted on 04/10/2014 2:47:16 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: mojito

I don’t have a problem with Jesus having a wife. The custom was to marry so perhaps he did.


65 posted on 04/10/2014 2:52:50 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mojito

You’re right. There were many outlier ‘gospels’ written by some unknown for some unknown reason. No reason to give it any credence.


66 posted on 04/10/2014 3:00:11 PM PDT by Lou Budvis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: mojito
a Harvard Divinity School historian

These "historians" believe in man-made global warming BS and sell snake oil calling it "education". Trust them not!

67 posted on 04/10/2014 3:24:59 PM PDT by Rapscallion (Obama is the corruption of America - economic, criminal, judicial, political, sexual, and more)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rightwing Conspiratr1
Semikhah
68 posted on 04/10/2014 3:38:52 PM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: F15Eagle

**ancient, and not a modern forgery.**

But that doesn’t make it accurate, does it now?


69 posted on 04/10/2014 3:43:34 PM PDT by Gamecock (If the cross is not foolishness to the lost world then we have misrepresented the cross." S.L.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mojito

All this demonstrates, if true, is that it was written many centuries ago. I just finished reading an anthology titled, The Lost Bible. It is amazing just how many books were written in the early years of Christianity that were full of nonsense about Jesus and his disciples.


70 posted on 04/10/2014 3:54:16 PM PDT by CdMGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mastador1; Boogieman; morgans

I can’t imagine why they would leave out that option :)


71 posted on 04/10/2014 4:22:04 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: mojito

Gnostic Blasphemy....But then again, those two words are redundant.


72 posted on 04/10/2014 4:22:11 PM PDT by BereanBrain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: F15Eagle

Hear, hear!


73 posted on 04/10/2014 4:29:34 PM PDT by avenir (I'm pessimistic about man, but I'm optimistic about GOD!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: mojito

She must’ been otherwise engaged the day they nailed Him to a tree...


74 posted on 04/10/2014 4:44:40 PM PDT by TalBlack (Evil doesn't have a day job.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: varyouga

“Every known printed/written copy of the Bible was created by men with their own agendas and desires.”

Adolescent cop-out.

The Author of Time Who could see every second of it and across all of it, Who SPOKE the world into existence, somehow failed to get the right words to those He wanted to reach?

Idiotic, nonsensical, ridiculous.


75 posted on 04/10/2014 4:54:59 PM PDT by TalBlack (Evil doesn't have a day job.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: TalBlack
“The Author of Time Who could see every second of it and across all of it, Who SPOKE the world into existence, somehow failed to get the right words to those He wanted to reach? Idiotic, nonsensical, ridiculous.”

I believe portions of it were inspired by divine contact and intervention. I believe certain men throughout history earned divine knowledge.

However, I don't believe it was orally retold and transcribed by MEN 100% accurately and truthfully over the several millenia that passed.

I don't believe that He would want us to blindly accept a book written by men as His unfiltered word. ALL men are corrupt and fallen at some level.

76 posted on 04/10/2014 5:13:25 PM PDT by varyouga
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: mojito

it only confirms that such a document may have existed, and someone” possibly between A.D. 3XX and A.D. 7XX likely produced it

that does not identify who they were or who they might have been or what their beliefs or motivations were

and there were many different “Jesus gospels” written by many different people (all original authors of them unknown) over the centuries

what does the “scientific analysis” about the scrap of parchment CONFIRM, religiously? next to nothing


77 posted on 04/10/2014 5:15:02 PM PDT by Wuli
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: varyouga
However, I don't believe it was orally retold and transcribed by MEN 100% accurately and truthfully over the several millenia that passed.

God, then, is a failure. He could see to the ‘several millenia’ as easily as anywhere else in Time. The Word is less than useless if it is not THE WORD

78 posted on 04/11/2014 4:32:52 PM PDT by TalBlack (Evil doesn't have a day job.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: TalBlack
“He could see to the ‘several millenia’ as easily as anywhere else in Time.”

I agree with that but believe He is above the limitations of man-made words.

Words or books are all highly simplified interpretations by men who have seen glimpses of what lies beyond.

I do believe many of the core teachings of the Bible are true but it is all man-made interpretation to help us understand these teachings.

There can be no such thing as “God's Word” condensed into a book for He is beyond what can be written in words.

THE WORD simply exists all around us. The Universe itself and EVERYTHING in it is THE WORD. We can only comprehend a fraction of one drop in this ocean. God is NO FAILURE. We are the failure for thinking all the teachings of God's Universe can be condensed into a book.

79 posted on 04/13/2014 5:56:50 AM PDT by varyouga
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: varyouga

“There can be no such thing as “God’s Word” condensed into a book for He is beyond what can be written in words.

THE WORD simply exists all around us. The Universe itself and EVERYTHING in it is THE WORD.”

You conflate what God wants us to know with His very being. This is pure sophistry that contains a great contradiction: That the Word of God is not true due to an apparent failure of all powerful God but is somehow intelligibly OBJECYIVELY contained in all of Creation; a sign of His Power.

The word of God is then subjective and WHATEVER you want it to be. Which leads me to the conclusion that there is something in the ACTUAL Word of God that you don’t like and wish to deny.


80 posted on 04/13/2014 3:54:15 PM PDT by TalBlack (Evil doesn't have a day job.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson