The Gospel Of Jesus' Wife

The Gospel Of Jesus' Wife

What do we know?

     According to the Bible and all other literature known to man Jesus was not married.A recent discovery has questioned our belief. A papyrus was found that states that Jesus had a wife.The papyrus refers to a Mary and Karen King,a renowned Harvard scholar, thinks that this Mary might be Mary Magdalene.We believed he did not have a wife, but then we began to question, what do we know for sure? The story could have changed as it was passed down. Belief is the key to knowing something is true. If something changed in that belief how do you know what's still true and what isn't?    

Writing and Religion

One characteristic of civilization is writing. In the third millennium , papyrus was used to write and record on. Papyrus is a tough plant that was used to make a paper-like material and rope.The text that was found claiming that Jesus had a wife, was written on papyrus. The writing on the papyrus is in Coptic and states that Jesus said "...my wife" ,when translated into English. Writing is characteristic of civilization that relates to the idea of Jesus having a wife because it was stated in writing on the papyrus. Another characteristic of civilization is religion. Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the messiah who died to forgive our sins.The papyrus states that this messiah was also married. Religion relates to the idea of Jesus having a wife because, if true, it changes the way Christians once believed about the topic. 

This picture shows Mary Magdalene with an alabaster jar.
The thought that she was the woman with the alabaster jar
          was proved false. Before it was proven false artists depicted her
with an alabaster jar.    

Mary Magdalene: according to the Christians

In a Bible verse a sinful woman walked into the house of a Pharisee and began to wash Jesus'  feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair.She covered his feet in kisses and anointed his feet with expensive oil from an alabaster jar. Jesus forgave her sins because of her faith.The woman's name is not mentioned so she is identified by the woman with the alabaster jar. Many people once thought that Mary Magdalene was this woman and this is why the picture depicts her with an alabaster jar.Studies have proved she is not the woman with the alabaster jar ,but Christians seem to identify themselves with her.This is because the woman with the alabaster jar received forgiveness for her sin(s) after she repented.

Does the Bible contain  reliable proof of Jesus having a wife ?

The Bible was written many years after Jesus died so
it is not exact proof. The Bible  is a memory,
a mixing of truth, other beliefs,and twists in the story. Like other
              verbal stories , tales, and records passed down generation to generation,
the story will change and we will never know what is true
but, because Religion is based on beliefs it doesn't matter. 

The Bible has 4 gospels which are not necessarily true facts, but understandings of different people.They were written 35 to 90 years after Jesus' death. As the story of Jesus was told and retold, changes to events and characters must have occurred , and it has raised confusion about Jesus and his followers. Whenever the New Testament refers to Jesus’ relatives, they speak only of his father and mother, but never of a wife. Every Jewish man in Jesus’ day usually got married,especially those who were considered to be 
Rabbis,but it was not required.The fact
 that the gospels do not mention this 
suggests that Jesus could have been
 unmarried.It does seem fantastic to 
imagine that if Jesus had been married to 
Mary Magdalene,or to any other woman for
 that matter why would this fact,be completely
 taken out of or forgotten from all of the earliest
 records of Jesus' life.                

Mary Magdalene: according to King

                                                                                       Reading the papyrus

1."not (to) me.My mother gave to me (life)...."
2. The disciples said to Jesus,"
3. deny. Mary is worthy of it
4. "Jesus said to them,"My wife
5. she will be able to be my disciple
6. Let the wicked people swell up
7. As for me, I dwell  with her in order to
8. an image



This piece of papyrus, smaller than a business card, has changed the thinking of many people.The Coptic language is translated above. According to the 400 year old text , Jesus had a wife and Karen King's idea is that the 'Mary' the papyrus refers to is Mary Magdalene.The papyrus dates back to 150 AD  ,but so does the question - did Jesus have a wife?-. Only 100-150 years after he died, did the question arise so the papyrus is not real proof of Jesus having a wife.It is  proof that at maybe people thought he had a wife. The papyrus proves this because these events were recorded on it years after they happened.

Conclusion

The idea that Jesus could be married is hard for people to accept because it takes away from his divinity and makes him more human.It also makes us question what else is the Bible leaving out. The Bible is not proof that Jesus was not married only because it doesn't mention anything about his marriage The papyrus does not prove conclusively that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. What it does prove is that people once thought he was married.In my opinion, the finding of this papyrus has been a good thing because it will get people to talk about the idea of a married Jesus and this talk will certainly lead to the understanding that a married Jesus does not really matter.


By: Maanasi