The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife: How a fake Gospel-Fragment was composed

markgoodacre.org ^ | 20 September 2012. | Francis Watson

[annalex]

If the author was a Gnostic living in Egypt in the second century, he or she might have imitated other Gnostic texts so having similarities to other Gnostic writings would not necessarily show that it is a modern forgery.

Watson shows that the compiler had limited command of Coptic and relied almost certainly on documents later than 2c. But the larger point, made by both King and Watson, is indeed that people motivated to portray Jesus as a married man existed in antiquity, as they exist today.

I read in the article that first appeared about Mrs. King's discovery, that chemical analysis would not be possible.

[annalex]

You remind me that I should probably post the papyrus in question.

Thank you for the portrait of St. Paul. Convincingly done.

[BlackVeil]

This is very interesting. I note the reference to Morton Smith’s controversial “discovery”. Textual analysis also says that Smith is a faker.

[kearnyirish2]

I heard some jackass on the radio, when asked if he thought this latest scrap led him to believe that Jesus had been married, say that he thought “The Last Supper” painting made him think about it (as if it was a Kodak rather than a painting done centuries later, with characters sitting at an odd table in which you ate in a line instead of gathered “around” the table).

The Gospel mentions that some fabricated a story at the time of the Resurrection to explain the missing Body, and “they continue to do so to this day...”.

[Slyfox]

It is indeed puzzling as to why it is so important for some to falsely believe that Jesus was married and to put all of their faith in a scrap of paper.

[kearnyirish2]

“It is indeed puzzling as to why it is so important for some to falsely believe that Jesus was married and to put all of their faith in a scrap of paper.”

They are succumbing to the goal of those who pushed the story to begin with: to destroy faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

[LadyDoc]

no, they aren’t anti Christian, it’s a scam for money, and this feminist professor is an easy target.

[dsc]

“So, what the author is saying is that based on a purely linguistic analysis of language and content the fragment is probably a modern forgery.”

An experienced translator can spot such things.