The Wife of Jesus?

Recently news outlets, internet comment boxes, and the blogosphere have been buzzing over the contents of a small Coptic fragment where Jesus appears to reference having a wife. The existence of the fragment was announced by Professor Karen King on 18 September 2012, and interested readers can view a pre-publication copy of King’s here, and two videos (one, two) where she attempts to explain the discovery and its significance. This, unofficial, website exists to help people form their own opinions about the fragment’s importance and authenticity by listing some notable discussions that have been posted online about the discovery. Starting from 26 September any additions will be noted at the bottom of the page under ‘updates’.  If you think that we have missed something please let us know.

The fragment reads:

FRONT:

1 ] “not [to] me. My mother gave to me li[fe…”
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 wicked people swell up … [
7] As for me, I dwell with her in order to . [
8] an image [

BACK:

1 ] my moth[er
2 ] three [
3 ] … [
4 ] forth which … [
5 ] (illegible ink traces)

Facts, Questions and Answers:

 

Please note: Harvard University have released their own series of questions and answered that should also be consulted by interested readers. Please click on each header to reveal the (forthcoming) comments.

 Discussion on the Fragment:

 

1. The Fragment’s Contents and Significance

Simon Gathercole
-Did Jesus Have a Wife?

Jared Calaway
-New Gospel Fragment: Preliminary Notes and Hypothesis

Daniel B. Wallace
-Reality Check: The “Jesus Wife” Coptic Fragment

Larry Hurtado
-“The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife…Maybe…Maybe Not

Michael Kruger
-The Far Less Sensational Truth about Jesus’ Wife

John Byron
-So What if Jesus Had A Wife?

April DeConick
-Gospel of Jesus’ Wife
-Did Jesus Have a Wife?

James Tabor
-Morning After the Thoughts on Jesus and his “wife”
-The Sounds of Silence: Mr and Mrs Jesus Christ

Joseph Hoffmann
- “And Jesus said my wife [is not like these]…”

John Dickson
- The Wife of Christ? No Way! 

2. The Fragment’s Authenticity

Christian Askeland
-Gospel of Jesus’ Wife

David Meadows
-The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife~ A Rogueclassicist Perspective

Jaweed Kaleem
-‘Jesus Wife’ Research Leads To Suspicions That Artifact Is A Fake 

Tom Verenna
-The “Wife of Jesus” Fragment a Day Later: Some Concerns About Authenticity

Francis Watson
-The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife: How a fake Gospel-Fragment was composed
-The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife: How a fake Gospel-Fragment was composed (summary)
-Inventing Jesus’ Wife 
-Gospel of Jesus’s Wife is fake, claims expert  (the Guardian’s report on Francis Watson’s article)

Mark Goodacre
-Gospel of Jesus’ Wife: the last line is also from Thomas

Andrew Bernhard
- Could the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife be a “Collage” of Words and Phrases Culled Exclusively from the Coptic Gospel of Thomas?
- Synopsis of the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife and the Coptic Gospel of Thomas

James McGrath
-Is the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife a Fake?

Michael Peppard
-Is the “Jesus’ wife” papyrus a forgery? And other queries

ABC News
-Doubts Over Harvard Claim of “Jesus’ Wife” Papyrus

Hugo and Lundhaug Alin Suciu
- On the So-Called Gospel of Jesus’ Wife. Some Preliminary Thoughts

Peter M. Head
-More Questions in Jesus’ Wife Fragment

Updates

26 September: Hugo and Lundhaug Alin Suciu On the So-Called Gospel of Jesus’ Wife. Some Preliminary Thoughts

26 September: Jaweed Kaleem ‘Jesus Wife’ Research Leads To Suspicions That Artifact Is A Fake