Scrap of Papyrus Suggests Some Early Christians Believed Jesus Was Married
At The Boston Globe, Lisa Wangsness reports that Harvard professor Karen King has discovered a scrap of fourth-century papyrus that contains the first known reference to Jesus as a married man. The fragment, which could spark a debate within the Catholic Church over priest celibacy, has been preliminarily authenticated but still must be tested further. “It contains echoes of other early Christian writings,” King suggests “It may have been part of a debate about the spiritual importance of celibacy versus marriage.”